The Spanish Mission Discovers a Rare Roman Tomb and Golden Tongues in Bahnasa, Revealing Funerary Rituals from the Greek and Roman Periods

The Spanish archaeological mission affiliated with the University of Barcelona and the Institute of the Ancient Near East, led by Dr. Maite Mascort and Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, has successfully uncovered a Roman-era tomb in the Bahnasa area of Minya Governorate during its excavation work at the site.

 

The excavation revealed several mummies dating back to the Roman period. Some were wrapped in decorated linens featuring geometric patterns, along with wooden coffins. Three golden tongues and one made of copper were also found, in addition to evidence of the use of gold leaf on some of the mummies.

 

Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, expressed his happiness with the discovery, stressing that it adds to the series of important archaeological finds recently witnessed in Minya Governorate. He noted that it reflects the richness and diversity of Egyptian civilization across different eras.

 

For his part, Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the discovery provides new insights into funerary practices in the city of Bahnasa during the Greek and Roman periods. He also noted that the mission succeeded in uncovering a rare papyrus inside one of the mummies, containing text from Book II of Homer’s Iliad, which includes a description of the participants in the Greek campaign against Troy, known as the “Catalogue of Ships.” He emphasized that this discovery adds an important literary and historical dimension to the site.

Professor Mohamed Abdel Badie, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, added that excavations east of Tomb No. 67, discovered during the 2024 season, led to the opening of a trench containing three limestone-built chambers, of which only limited remains survive.

He explained that in the first chamber, a stone slab and a large jar were found containing cremated human remains belonging to an adult, along with the bones of an infant and a feline skull, all wrapped in pieces of fabric. The second chamber contained a similar jar holding the cremated remains of two individuals, along with animal bones from the same species.

In addition, small terracotta and bronze figurines were found south of the site, including representations of the god Harpocrates depicted as a rider, as well as a small figure of Cupid.

Dr. Hassan Amer, Professor of Archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, and director of the mission’s excavations, stated that work in Tomb No. 65 led to the discovery of golden and copper tongues, along with several Roman mummies and painted wooden coffins inside an underground burial chamber (hypogeum). However, the remains were in a deteriorated condition due to ancient looting.