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Homer's Iliad Papyrus Found Inside Egyptian Mummy in Archaeological First
Researchers found a rare Iliad fragment inside a mummy and ritual tongue plates meant to help the dead speak in the afterlife.
- Archaeologists from the University of Barcelona discovered a rare papyrus fragment containing Homer's Iliad inside a mummy's abdomen at the Roman-era site of Oxyrhynchus, located in Al-Bahnasa, Egypt.
- Professor Ignasi-Xavier Adiego noted this is the first literary papyrus found in a funerary context, as previous discoveries of bundled Greek papyri contained "mainly magical" content.
- The fragment corresponds to the Catalogue of Ships from Book II, describing forces in the Trojan War, and was buried within a Roman-era tomb around 1,600 years ago.
- Excavation leads Dr. Maite Mascort and Dr. Esther Pons Mellado believe the placement suggests a deliberate link between literature and afterlife beliefs, reflecting how Egyptian traditions merged with Greek influences.
- Artifacts, including the papyrus, are currently undergoing conservation and detailed study, with experts using advanced imaging techniques to analyze the text within Minya's diverse historical heritage.
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54 Articles
54 Articles
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·Dortmund, Germany
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For the first time, a team of archaeologists discovered a literary papyrus, extracted from the famous Greek epic, in the heart of a mummy tomb in Egypt. The text would have been used in the mummification process.
·Paris, France
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Archaeologists report a spectacular discovery in Egypt: The interior of a mummy contained a piece of world literature from Greek-Roman times.
·Germany
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Total News Sources54
Leaning Left8Leaning Right9Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution39% Center
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources are Center
39% Center
L 29%
C 39%
R 32%
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