Archaeologists working at the ancient Egyptian site of Oxyrhynchus have made a remarkable discovery: a papyrus that contains a fragment from Homer. iliad It was found inside a Roman-era mummy, approximately 1,600 years old. Researchers say this is the first known case in archaeological history in which a Greek literary text was intentionally included in the mummification process.
The discovery was made by the Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, directed by Maite Maskort and Esther Pons, through the Institute for Studies in the Ancient Near East (IPOA) at the University of Barcelona. It comes from the modern city of El Bahnasa, located on the site of the ancient Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.
a liturgical papyrus used in mummification
During excavations conducted between November and December 2025, a team led by Nuria Castellano unearthed a Roman era mummy in Tomb 65 in Sector 22. On the mummy’s stomach was a papyrus that was deliberately placed there as part of the embalming ritual.
The mission had discovered Greek papyri located in a similar manner during earlier excavations. However, those texts were consistently magical or ritualistic in nature. This is the first time any literary work, especially Homer’s iliadHas been recognized in that role.
Experts identify one of these famous passages iliad
The papyrus was studied in detail during a second research expedition conducted in January and February 2026. Conservator Margalida Munar, papyrologist Lia Mascia, and professor in the Department of Classical, Romance and Semitic Languages, classical linguist and director of the Oxyrhynchus Project Ignacy-Javier Addiego examined the delicate document.
Using Leigh Mascia’s reading of the text, Professor Addiego determined that the fragment came from the “Catalog of Ships” in Homer’s Book II. iliad. This famous section lists the Greek armies preparing for the Trojan War and is considered one of the most famous passages in Western literature.
Professor Addiego explains: “This is not the first time that we have found Greek papyri, bundled, sealed, and included in the mummification process, but until now, their contents were mainly magical. Furthermore, it is worth noting that, since the end of the 19th century, a large number of papyri have been discovered in Oxyrhynchus, including Greek literary texts of great importance, but the real novelty is a literary one in a funerary context. Gotta find the papyrus.”
Excavations in ancient Oxyrhynchus
The discovery was made in the El Bahnasa Necropolis, an archaeological site identified with ancient Oxyrhynchus, one of the most important cities of Greco-Roman Egypt. Located near the Bahr Yusuf branch of the Nile River, about 190 kilometers south of Cairo, the site has long been known for preserving thousands of ancient papyri.
Excavations revealed a funerary complex consisting of three limestone burial chambers containing Roman era mummies and decorated wooden coffins. Many of the tombs were damaged by looting in the past, leaving many of the artefacts in poor condition.
A long-term archaeological mission
The Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission of the University of Barcelona began in 1992 under the leadership of Professor Josep Padrão. It has become one of Spain’s longest-running and most established archaeological projects in Egypt.
Its most recent field season, conducted between November 2025 and February 2026, yielded several discoveries that researchers describe as historically and archaeologically significant.
The mission receives support from the Ministry of Culture, the University of Barcelona, the Palarc Foundation, the Catalan Egyptology Society and AIXA Cerves Archéológicas. It also works in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt and Cairo University.
The team’s latest discoveries were recently presented during a public lecture series held at the Faculty of Philosophy and Communication of the University of Barcelona in the Gabriel Oliver Room. The program included talks by project members on archaeology, anthropology and conservation.