Archaeologists find piece of famous book in 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy’s guts

Archaeologists find piece of famous book in 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy’s guts


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It might have been mummy’s favorite bedtime story.

Archaeologists found part of Homer’s “The Iliad” stuffed inside a 1,600-year-old mummy’s abdomen — a surprising and first-of-its-kind find, experts said.

Researchers from the University of Barcelona said a papyrus fragment written in Greek was discovered during an excavation of a Roman Empire-era Egyptian tomb.

The fragment includes a section of Book Two of the ancient epic, which details the legendary Trojan War, the university said.

Archaeologists excavating a Roman-era Egyptian tomb found part of Homer’s Iliad, stuffed inside a mummy’s abdomen. University of Barcelona

The fragment names the famous catalog of ships used against the city of Troy, likely placed inside the mummy’s abdomen during embalming, university researchers detailed.

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The discovery, first announced this month, was uncovered by university researchers between November and December 2025 — and is the first time

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