Leah Mascia

Iliad Fragment Found in Roman-Era Mummy at Oxyrhynchus

An excavation at Egypt’s ancient Oxyrhynchus uncovered a papyrus fragment from Book II of Homer’s Iliad inside a Roman-era mummy dating to about 1,600 years ago. Researchers say the literary text was deliberately placed on the body during embalming, the first such case identified by the mission.