Archeologists Unearth Passage of Homer’s ‘Iliad’ Inside a Mummy’s Wrappings

Archaeologists in Egypt have found the first Greek literary text. It suggests the power of Homer’s reach.

Previous examples Greek papyrus literary texts have been discovered at the Oxyrhynchus, Egypt site, like this fragment of the Labors of Herakes, called the Herakles Papyrus. But never before has such a text been found in a mummy’s wrappings. Public Domain

In a groundbreaking discovery, archeologists working in the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, have discovered a passage from Homer’s epic poem, the “Iliad,” buried with a 1,600-year-old mummy. The text was found stuck in the mummy’s abdomen, meaning it was placed under the wrappings on the deceased’s body during embalming. Archeologists have found other mummies in the area with papyri carrying religious ritual texts, but this is the first time a literary text has been discovered in this context.

First Literary Papyrus in a Mummy’s Wrappings

“This is the first time a Greek literary text has been found in a mummy,” according to an official statement from the University of Barcelona. “It is the first time in the history of archaeology that a Greek literary text has been found deliberately incorporated into the mummification process.”

The statement also included a quotation from Professor Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, one of the scholars who analyzed the papyrus. He explains the significance of the discovery: