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Homer's Iliad Lines Found on Roman-Era Mummy at Oxyrhynchus

cultural-heritage · 2026-04-21

A significant archaeological find occurred in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, where a papyrus fragment featuring passages from the Iliad was uncovered on a Roman-era mummy. This artifact, believed to date back to the fifth century CE, was excavated by the Spanish Archaeological Mission under the guidance of Maite Mascort and Esther Ponce Milado. Alongside the papyrus, the team unearthed several Ptolemaic tombs containing 52 mummified bodies, with 13 adorned with golden tongues, symbolizing a connection to the god Osiris. The fragment reveals the enduring impact of Homer's work in Greco-Roman culture, reminiscent of a similar discovery made in 1888.

Key facts

  • Papyrus with Iliad lines found on mummy's abdomen at Oxyrhynchus
  • Dated to late Roman period, around fifth century CE
  • Excavated by University of Barcelona and IPOA team
  • 13 mummies with gold tongues discovered, 16 total at site
  • Text identified as catalog of ships from Iliad Book II
  • Papyrus folded and placed on top of body, not inside
  • Similar find at Hawara in 1888 with Iliad Book II fragment
  • Site first identified by Dominique Vivant Denon, excavated by Grenfell and Hunt

Entities

Artists

  • Homer
  • Maite Mascort
  • Esther Ponce Milado
  • Margalida Munar
  • Leah Mascia
  • Ignasi-Xavier Adiego
  • Celsiana Warwick
  • Joel Christensen
  • Roberta Mazza
  • Dominique Vivant Denon
  • Bernard P. Grenfell
  • Arthur S. Hunt
  • Napoleon Bonaparte
  • Sophocles
  • Vivant Denon
  • Esther Pons Mellado

Institutions

  • University of Barcelona
  • Institute of Ancient Near East Studies (IPOA)
  • University of Hamburg
  • University of Iowa
  • City University of New York
  • University of Bologna
  • Bodleian Library
  • Oxford University
  • Egypt Exploration Society
  • Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
  • Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission
  • Supreme Council of Antiquities
  • Smithsonian magazine
  • Atlas Obscura
  • Ara
  • Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
  • Beaux Arts Magazine

Locations

  • Oxyrhynchus
  • El-Bahnasa
  • Egypt
  • Fayum
  • Hawara
  • Oxford
  • England
  • Cairo
  • Troy
  • Rhodes
  • Cyphus
  • Library of Alexandria
  • el-Bahnasa
  • Minya
  • Nile
  • Barcelona
  • Spain

Sources