Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced a major archaeological discovery at the historic site of El-Bahnasa in Minya, offering new insights into funerary traditions during the Greek and Roman periods.

The find was made by a Spanish mission from the University of Barcelona and the Institute of the Ancient Near East, led by Maite Mascort and Esther Pons Mellado. Excavations uncovered a rare Roman-era tomb containing several mummies, some wrapped in elaborately decorated linen with geometric motifs. Wooden coffins were also found, along with three golden tongues and one copper tongue—ritual objects believed to have been placed in the mouths of the dead. Traces of gold leaf applied to some mummies further highlight the richness of burial practices.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy hailed the discovery as a valuable addition to Minya’s growing record of significant finds, underscoring Egypt’s cultural diversity across historical eras. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted that the mission also uncovered a rare papyrus inside one mummy, containing a passage from Book Two of Homer’s Iliad—the famed Catalogue of Ships—adding a remarkable literary dimension to the site.

Excavations east of Ptolemaic Tomb No. 67 revealed a trench with three partially preserved limestone chambers. In one chamber, archaeologists found a stone slab and a jar containing cremated remains of an adult, an infant’s bones, and the head of a feline, all wrapped in textiles. Another chamber held a jar with two cremated individuals and animal bones of the same species.

South of the site, terracotta and bronze figurines were unearthed, including depictions of Harpocrates as a horseman and a small statue of Cupid. Meanwhile, work in Tomb No. 65 revealed additional golden and copper tongues, Roman-period mummies, and painted wooden coffins inside a hypogeum, though the tomb showed signs of ancient looting.

Professor Hassan Amer of Cairo University emphasized that these discoveries reinforce El-Bahnasa’s importance as a key archaeological site, continuing to reveal Egypt’s layered and multicultural past.

The post Egypt unveils rare Roman-era tomb in Minya, illuminating ancient burial rituals first appeared on Dailynewsegypt.