How did a papyrus of Homer’s Iliad end up inside a mummy? That is the question a team of archaeologists in Egypt is now trying to answer.
An Egyptian mummy, a papyrus, and an excerpt from Homer’s Iliad… the combination may seem unlikely. And yet, this is exactly what archaeologists uncovered in 2025 at the Oxyrhynchus excavation site, in a tomb dating back to the Roman period, around 1,600 years ago. A remarkable discovery that highlights the coexistence of multiple cultures in ancient Egypt.
An excerpt from the Iliad found inside a mummy
During a campaign conducted between November and December 2025, a team led by Núria Castellano made a surprising discovery in Tomb 65 at the Oxyrhynchus site (modern-day Al-Bahnasa), once one of the major cities under the Ptolemaic dynasty between 323 and 30 BC.
Researchers uncovered a papyrus placed in the abdomen of a mummy during the embalming process, as reported by Le Figaro. After analysis in early 2026 by a team of specialists, the text was identified as an excerpt from the “Catalogue of Ships” in Book II of the Iliad. More specifically, it is a famous passage listing the Greek forces gathered before Troy.
As Professor Adiego noted in a statement, this is not entirely unprecedented: “It is not the first time we have discovered Greek papyri, wrapped, sealed, and integrated into the mummification process, but until now their content was mainly magical.” However, while papyri found in mummies have so far been exclusively ritual or magical texts, “the real novelty lies in the discovery of a literary papyrus in a funerary context,” he adds.
An ancient and multicultural archaeological site
Excavations also revealed a funerary complex made up of three limestone chambers, containing no fewer than 52 mummies and several wooden sarcophagi, many of them damaged by ancient looting.
Perhaps most strikingly, some of the mummies had gold tongues placed in their mouths. These protective elements were meant to allow the deceased to speak in the afterlife during judgment before Osiris. Nearby, archaeologists also found traces of cremation—a practice rare in Egypt but more common in the Greek world.
Finally, the team uncovered a terracotta statuette of the god Harpocrates (the Greek version of Horus, the healing deity). Altogether, these findings confirm that in Oxyrhynchus, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman traditions were closely intertwined.
Passionate about archeology? These articles should interest you:
- The team of archaeologists uncovered a papyrus containing a fragment of Homer’s Iliad in a Roman-era tomb dating back around 1,600 years © Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered a 4,000-year-old site similar to Stonehenge
- In the South of France, archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old Roman villa and baths
