A fragment of the Iliad has been found inside the mummy - archaeologists

It is about a unique combination of literature and funerary ritual.

Details

The find was made in ancient Oxyrinh, one of the most famous archaeological sites of Greco-Roman Egypt.

The papyrus was found in a Roman-era tomb inside an approximately 1,600-year-old mummy. It had been placed on the belly of the deceased as part of a burial ritual.

Archaeologists have previously found Greek papyri embedded in the mummification process at similar sites, but their content was magical or ritualistic.

This time the text turned out to be literary.

After analysis, experts determined that this is a fragment from the second book of the "Iliad" - the so-called catalogue of ships, which lists the Greek forces before the march on Troy.

It is the context of the find that makes it exceptional: it is the first known case where a literary text of this level has been specifically used in mummification.

Why it matters

The find helps us better understand how different cultural traditions were intertwined in late Egypt.

It shows that:

• greek literature could be used not only for reading but also in funerary practices
• literary texts could be given special symbolic meaning
• the boundary between 'high literature' and ritual in the ancient world may have been much less rigid than it seems today

It also broadens the view of how ancient texts existed in everyday life.

Background

Oxyrhynchus is known for the huge number of ancient papyri found there since the late nineteenth century. Among them were the most important literary texts of the ancient world, but until now such finds have not been found in the mummification process itself.

Source

The find was made by the archaeological mission of the University of Barcelona in Oxyrhynchus during the excavations of 2025-2026. The identification of the text is published following the work of the project team.