New Archaeological Discovery in Minia Revives the Secrets of Oxyrhynchus During the Roman Era

The Spanish archaeological mission from the University of Barcelona and the Institute of Ancient Near East, led by Dr. Maite Mascort and Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, has successfully uncovered a Roman-era tomb in the Al-Bahnasa area of Minia Governorate during its excavation work at the site. The excavations revealed several Roman-era mummies, some wrapped in linens decorated with geometric patterns, alongside wooden coffins, three golden tongues, and one copper tongue, as well as evidence of gold leaf used on some of the mummies.

Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, expressed his satisfaction with this discovery, emphasizing that it adds to the series of significant archaeological finds recently witnessed in Minia and reflects the richness and diversity of Egyptian civilization throughout history. For his part, Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that this discovery provides new insights into funerary practices in Al-Bahnasa during the Greco-Roman periods. He highlighted the mission's success in uncovering a rare papyrus inside one of the mummies containing a text from the second book of Homer's Iliad, specifically the "Catalogue of Ships" describing the Greek campaign against Troy, which adds a vital literary and historical dimension to the site.

Mr. Mohamed Abdel-Badea, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, added that excavations east of Ptolemaic Tomb No. 67, discovered in 2024, led to a trench with three limestone chambers. In the first chamber, a stone slab and a large jar containing cremated human remains of an adult were found, along with infant bones and a feline head, all wrapped in fabric. The second chamber contained a similar jar with the remains of two cremated individuals and feline bones. Additionally, small terracotta and bronze statues were found south of the site, including depictions of the deity Harpocrates as a rider and a small statue of Cupid.

Dr. Hassan Amer, Professor of Archaeology at Cairo University and the mission's field director, noted that excavations in Tomb No. 65 uncovered more golden and copper tongues and Roman mummies. He also pointed out the discovery of colored wooden coffins within an underground burial chamber (hypogeum), though they were in a deteriorated state due to looting in ancient times.