Experts stunned after uncovering Homer’s ‘Iliad’on Egyptian mummy in unprecedented find

Archaeologists in Egypt uncovered a rare fragment of Homer’s “Iliad” placed atop a Roman-era mummy during excavations at Al Bahnasa.(Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images;University of Barcelona)

The “Iliad,”an epic poemthat centers around the Trojan War, is believed to have been composed around the 8th century B.C., more than a millennium before the mummy was buried.

Led by University of Barcelona professor Núria Castellano, excavators found that the papyrus was “placed on the abdomen [of the mummy] as part of the embalming ritual,” the school said in a statement.

“In previous campaigns, the Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission had already documented papyri written in Greek in similar positions, but all contained magical or ritualistic content,” the release noted.

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“A literary textsuch as the ‘Iliad’ had never before been found in this context.”

Experts said the fragment comes from Book II of the “Iliad” and references Greek forces preparing for the Trojan War.(Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The fragment comes from Book II of the “Iliad” and describes the Greek forces preparing for the Trojan War.The text was identified by papyrologist Leah Mascia.

Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, a professor at the University of Barcelona, emphasized that previously found papyri had “mainly magical” content.

“Since the late 19th century, a huge number of papyri have been discovered at Oxyrhynchus, including Greek literary texts of great importance,” he said.

“But the real novelty is finding a literary papyrus in a funerary context.”

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“[I]t is the first time in the history of archaeology that a Greek literary text has been found deliberately incorporated into the mummification process.”

During the excavation, archaeologists also uncoveredRoman-era mummiesand decorated wooden sarcophagi inside three limestone burial chambers, with the school noting damage from past looting.

But officials said the Homer fragment was the most notable — and they emphasized its rarity.

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“The discovery is exceptional: 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 school noted.

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The discovered papyrus contains lines from the Iliad, the classic Greek epic chronicling the siege of Troy.(Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The discovery follows a string ofmajor archaeological finds in Egyptin recent months.

Last month, officials announced the discovery of a massive statue believed to depict thepowerful pharaohoften linked to Exodus.

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Earlier this spring, archaeologists also announced the discovery ofeight Egyptian papyrus scrollsalongside a cache of colorful coffins dating back more than 2,600 years.