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Researchers from the University of Barcelona have unearthed in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, a mummy approximately 1,600 years old with a papyrus of Homer’s Iliad sewn to its abdomen, marking the first time in history that a Greek literary text has been incorporated into Egyptian funerary rituals.
According to Veja, the Iliad papyrus was identified by papyrologist Leah Mascia and announced to the public in April 2026.
The text belongs to Book II — the Catalogue of Ships — which lists the Greek forces before Troy.
Therefore, the discovery has two levels of surprise. The first: finding Homer’s Iliad, a work from the 8th century BC, sewn into an Egyptian burial from the 5th century AD.
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The second: that this had never happened before in the entire history of archaeology.
However, the biggest question raised by the discovery still has no answer.
Philologist Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, from the University of Barcelona, stated: “Until now, we didn’t know that they would have used literary texts as part of this funerary ritual.”
What the Oxyrhynchus Iliad papyrus contains
The Iliad papyrus contains excerpts from the Catalogue of Ships — the part of Book II where Homer lists the Greek fleets that set sail for Troy.
It is one of the most technical and least dramatic sections of the work, which makes its choice for a funerary ritual even more intriguing.
According to CNN Brasil, the papyrus was fixed directly to the mummy’s abdomen. It was not inside a container or wrapped separately — it was sewn to the body as part of the mummification process.
Furthermore, the state of preservation is fragile. According to Adiego, the team could not use X-rays to preserve the artifact: “We did everything we could without destroying the papyrus.”
Therefore, parts of the text still remain illegible.
- Text: Book II of Homer’s Iliad — the Catalogue of Ships
- Mummy’s age: ~1,600 years (5th century AD, Roman period in Egypt)
- Location: Necropolis of Oxyrhynchus (Al-Bahnasa), ~160 km south of Cairo
- Excavation: November-December 2025
- Public announcement: April 2026
- Team: Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, University of Barcelona
The mystery of the Iliad papyrus in the mummy: 1,600 years without an answer
Before this discovery, all Greek papyri found inside Egyptian mummies contained magical or ritual texts — protection formulas, instructions for embalmers, divine invocations.
In this sense, the Iliad is completely different. It is a poetic epic, not a sacred or ritual text.
Therefore, its presence suggests that the deceased — or whoever buried them — attributed a symbolic value to the work that goes beyond literature.
The researchers’ main hypothesis is that the text served as a “cultural passport” to the afterlife.
Just as wealthy families in Roman Egypt placed amulets and gold foils on the tongues of the dead, the Catalogue of Ships may have functioned as a symbol of Hellenistic identity.
Furthermore, the necropolis was frequented by wealthy families.
Consequently, access to a literary papyrus — a rare and expensive item in the 5th century AD — indicates that the deceased belonged to the Greek-Egyptian elite of Oxyrhynchus.
The discovery site is Oxyrhynchus, in Middle Egypt, known since the 19th century for its archaeological finds.
The three excavated tombs were carved into limestone and date from the late Roman period.
In addition to the papyrus, the mission found mummies with gold foils on their tongues and carbonized remains in jars.
Therefore, the cemetery belonged to affluent families who could afford elaborate mummification rituals.
The team behind the discovery
The mummy was discovered by archaeologist Núria Castellano during excavations between November and December 2025. As soon as the papyrus was identified, it was papyrologist Leah Mascia who recognized the Homeric verses.
According to Veja, the project is led by Maite Mascort and Esther Pons, coordinators of the Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission of the University of Barcelona.
The mission operates in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt.
Therefore, the discovery was not accidental — it is the result of decades of systematic work in Oxyrhynchus, one of the most important cities of Roman Egypt.
Similarly, the tombs of Ptahshepses, discovered by another European mission in Egypt, show how systematic excavations reveal unexpected historical connections.
Oxyrhynchus: the city that guards the papyri of the ancient world
Oxyrhynchus is not new to papyrologists.
Since the 19th century, the city — also called Al-Bahnasa — has produced over 500,000 papyrus fragments, making it the largest source of ancient Greek texts in the world.
However, none of these fragments had been found in a funerary context. Furthermore, all were technical, magical, or administrative texts — never pure literature.
In this sense, the 2026 discovery changes the history of Oxyrhynchus as much as it changes the understanding of Greco-Egyptian funerary ritual.
As explored in other findings such as the 3,400-year-old submerged city in Iraq, ancient civilizations continue to reveal surprises that rewrite chapters of human history.
What the Iliad in the mummy reveals about Roman Egypt
Roman Egypt was a unique cultural laboratory. Since its conquest by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, Greeks and Egyptians mixed traditions, languages, and rituals.
Therefore, finding the Iliad in an Egyptian burial is not completely absurd — it is the ultimate expression of a fusion that lasted for centuries.
A Hellenized Egyptian of the 5th century AD could see in Homer the same that their ancestors saw in funerary protection texts.
Still, the fundamental question remains unanswered. Why the Catalogue of Ships specifically — and not a more famous passage from the Iliad, such as the duel of Hector and Achilles?
Did the deceased have a personal connection to that passage?
However, perhaps the mystery is the point.
Research continues. The exhibition in Barcelona, open until May 11, 2026, is the first step. The world can see up close the papyrus that defied 1,600 years of silence.
Note: the data is based on reports from Veja (22/04/2026), CNN Brasil, and O Cafezinho (03/05/2026).
The complete scientific analysis of the papyrus is ongoing. Parts of the text remain illegible due to its state of preservation.
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