Archaeologists Make Stunning Discovery Inside Mummy’s Tomb
The Daily Beast • • world
Key Points:
- A 2,000-year-old Roman-era Egyptian mummy was found with a clay packet containing a papyrus of Homer’s Iliad, discovered at the Oxyrhynchus necropolis.
- The papyrus, identified as part of Book 2’s “Catalog of Ships” from the 24-book epic, was uncovered by the University of Barcelona’s Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission after six years of restoration and translation.
- The presence of the Greek literary text alongside the mummy suggests it may have been used as a magical amulet to guide the deceased through the afterlife.
- Experts highlight the significance of finding Greek literary texts in their original archaeological context, supporting evidence that Homeric works were integrated into Greco-Egyptian magical and funerary practices.