Papyrus Fragment of Homer’s Iliad Found in 1600–Year-old Mummy is First Time Literature is Discovered in a Burial

A 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy was discovered buried with a fragment of papyrus that contained a short passage from Homer’s Iliad, marking the first time that literature—instead of a ‘magical or ritual text’—has been found incorporated directly into a burial. This unique discovery, made by a University of Barcelona team, suggests new insights into the spread