Homer’s Iliad found inside ancient Egyptian mummy

The Roman-era mummy was uncovered in Tomb 65 at the ancient site of Oxyrhynchus, near the modern town of Al Bahnasa, during excavations conducted in late 2025 by a University of Barcelona archaeological mission.

Researchers found a bundled and sealed papyrus deliberately placed on the mummy’s abdomen. Subsequent analysis identified the text as part of the “Catalogue of Ships” from Book II of the Iliad, which lists the Greek forces assembled for the Trojan War.

“This is not the first time we have found Greek papyri, bundled, sealed, and incorporated into the mummification process, but until now, their content was mainly magical,” project director Ignasi-Xavier Adiego said.

“The real novelty is finding a literary papyrus in a funerary context,” he added.

Previous papyri found inside mummies at the site contained magical or ritual texts. Researchers believe the latest discovery provides new evidence of how Greek literary culture became intertwined with Egyptian burial traditions during the Roman period.

Oxyrhynchus, located around 190 kilometres south of Cairo, is one of the most important sources of ancient papyri ever discovered. Excavations there have produced thousands of Greek literary and administrative texts since the late 19th century.

The burial complex also contained several Roman-era mummies and decorated wooden sarcophagi, although many of the tombs had previously been damaged by looting.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that scientists had successfully sequenced the first genome-wide DNA of Kazakhstan's famed Golden Man, confirming the iconic Iron Age figure was genetically male and providing new evidence that Scythian elites inherited their status through powerful family dynasties.