Archaeologists have made a stunning discovery inside a 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy — a fragment of Homer's Iliad.
The papyrus was found tucked inside the gut of a mummy unearthed in Tomb 65 at Oxyrhynchus, an ancient city located 118 miles south of Cairo.
The excavation was carried out between November and December 2025 by a team including researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Institute of Ancient Near East Studies.
This marks the first time a Greek literary text has been found incorporated into the mummification process.
Previous discoveries at Oxyrhynchus had turned up Greek papyri used in burials, but their contents were always magical or ritualistic in nature.
The fragment found within the mummy belongs to Book II of the Iliad, a section known as the Catalogue of Ships, which lists the Greek forces that sailed to Troy.
The Iliad, composed around 800 BC, is widely considered the cornerstone of Western literature and centers on the Trojan War and the fate of the warrior Achilles.
Researchers are still unsure why this particular literary passage was chosen for the embalming ritual.
The funerary complex also yielded other remarkable finds, including mummies adorned with gold tongues and fingernails, heart scarabs, and amulets depicting gods such as Horus, Thoth, and Isis.
#archaeohistories
Can they please just give him a room and a Wordle to occupy his time? He's literally ruining global society with this mairde.
AP sources: White House altered record of Biden's 'garbage' remarks despite stenographer concerns https://t.co/ksemduJZY9
So I downloaded @duolingo because I thought it would be fun to learn Gaelic. Then, life got in the way and I had to put it aside a couple days. Ever since, it's been sending me increasingly nasty emails. Got this one yesterday.
#TryThatInASmallTown
These racist asshats don't even put the white hood on anymore. DJT has emboldened them that much.
Now they're playing Jim Crow lynching songs on the radio.
This week marked the 40th anniversary of the time his reckless disregard for safety on set got three people killed, including two children. But "the streamers are the bad guys." This rotten guy has never had a speck of self-awareness.
I don't know what's more awesome -- this awesome reunion of awesome stars of an awesome movie, or Griffin Dunne's awesome "Beefsteak Charlie's" t-shirt
I say this with a heavy heart, My father passed away peacefully in his sleep. He is a legend in the art world and it would be my honor to follow in his footsteps. Please keep your thoughts and condolences here out of respect for my family.
He was the greatest man I ever met.
I eagerly looked forward to Treat Williams’ intellectual and often introspective tweets. This was a man who had a lot to say, as an actor and as a human, and I'm saddened beyond measure today that his voice has been silenced. #TreatWilliams
What I respect most about @kevinolearytv is how he keeps his personal politics out of his public commentary. Fox digs him for his conservative economics. I doubt they'd dig his thoughts on Jan. 6.
https://t.co/uqBMXMMTYw