A remarkable Roman-era tomb has been unearthed at Al-Bahnasa, the site of the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus, providing valuable insights into Egyptian funerary customs during the Greco-Roman period (332 BCE-641 CE). This significant discovery, announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was led by a collaborative team of Egyptian and Spanish archaeologists, including Esther Pons from Spain's National Archaeological Museum and Maite Mascort from the University of Barcelona.
Among the tomb's contents were several intricately wrapped mummies adorned with decorated linen. The excavation team also discovered three gold amulets shaped like tongues, along with a copper amulet, believed to facilitate the deceased's speech in the afterlife. The presence of gold leaf on some mummies indicates the elaborate nature of the funerary rituals practiced during this era.
In a statement, Sherif Fathy, Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, emphasized that this find contributes to a growing catalog of significant artifacts uncovered at the site. Previous discoveries by the same team have included terracotta figurines of Isis-Aphrodite, a hybrid representation of the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
The Al-Bahnasa region is renowned for its papyri from Greek and Roman times. Among the artifacts, a papyrus found with one of the mummies features a passage from Homer's Iliad, specifically the "Catalogue of Ships," which enumerates the Greek forces involved in the Trojan War. Hisham el-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, remarked that this discovery adds a significant literary and historical layer to the site.
This excavation not only enriches our understanding of ancient Egyptian culture but also paves the way for future explorations that may further unveil the complexities of historical interactions between Greek and Egyptian civilizations.