Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered an exceptionally rare discovery: a fragment of Homer’s Iliad that was intentionally incorporated into the embalming process of a mummy dating back approximately 1,600 years. The discovery offers new insight into how ancient texts were present in the daily and ritual life of Roman Egypt.
Where It Was Found
The papyrus was discovered on the mummy’s abdomen, inside a tomb dating to the Roman period, at the site of the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus — today known as the Egyptian town of Al Bahnasa, south of Cairo.
The discovery was made by the Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, led by the University of Barcelona, during excavations in late 2025, in Tomb 65, Sector 22.
Why This Discovery Is Historically Significant
Archaeologists had previously discovered Greek papyri wrapped and sealed as part of the mummification process at this site, but their contents were mostly magical or ritual texts, rather than literary works.
This discovery is especially significant because it represents the first known case in which a Greek literary text was intentionally incorporated into the mummification process.
Professor Ignasi-Xavier Adiego from the University of Barcelona noted that Greek papyri had been found in similar contexts before, but their contents had largely been connected to magical texts and rituals.
Which Part of the Iliad Was Found
The fragment comes from the famous section known as the “Catalogue of Ships” from Book Two of the Iliad.
In this passage, Homer lists the leaders of the Greek forces who sailed toward Troy — an event that, according to Greek mythology, began after Paris, son of the Trojan King Priam, took Helen from Sparta to Troy.
Why Homer and Not Something Else?
The person was buried during a period when Rome already controlled Egypt. The pharaohs had long disappeared, and the Greek language remained the language of the educated elite — a legacy of Alexander the Great’s conquest in 332 BC.
By that time, traditional Egyptian burial practices had already blended with Greek and Roman influences.
Researchers note that papyrus was an expensive material at the time, which is why scribes often reused older texts. It remains unknown whether the deceased person was truly a lover of Homer’s works or whether the papyrus was simply available to the embalmers.
The Broader Meaning of the Discovery
For more than a century, Oxyrhynchus has been one of the most important sources of ancient papyri. Thousands of fragments discovered there have preserved pieces of a world that might otherwise have been lost — from contracts and tax records to comedies, tragedies, and philosophical writings.
However, none of the previously discovered papyri connected to mummification at this site contained a literary text like Homer’s Iliad, a work that was already considered a classic in the ancient world.
For an epic more than 2,700 years old that shaped storytelling throughout Western civilization — from literature to modern war narratives — this discovery provides new evidence of Homer’s lasting influence.
Perhaps one of humanity’s most famous stories, written thousands of years ago, found its place on the final journey of an ancient Egyptian resident.
Sources: ScienceDaily, Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic