A 1,700-year-old Egyptian tomb contains a Greek poem, protective spells, Roman coins and ancient afterlife imagery

An Egyptian tomb that is 1,700 years old connects three completely disparate elements of the ancient world into one: Egyptian burial practices, Greek literary tradition, and Roman control.

The tomb, which was built from limestone and mud brick, was unearthed in Dakhla Oasis, located near Mothis, an ancient settlement referred to today as Mut.

Dating to the fourth century AD, the tomb was built for a man named Pisechtes and his wife during a period when Egypt was under Roman control.


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What makes the discovery particularly unusual is what was written inside.

There is also a stone inscription bearing a 19-line Greek-language funeral poem dedicated to his father, which was probably written by Sarapion, the son of Pisechtes.

This inscription laments the loss of his father and praises him for his virtues such as kindness and wisdom. In the final lines of the poem, Sarapion talks to his dead father and asks him to listen to his words and receive the offerings from his grieving sons.

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In other parts of the tomb, though, the language and art are clearly Egyptian. Hieroglyphic inscriptions consist of protective spells for the deceased, and there is also some Egyptian religious imagery on the tomb's entrance.

This blend gives a picture of the Roman period Egypt.

A Greek farewell carved inside an Egyptian tomb

The most personal discovery is the Greek poem dedicated to Pisechtes.

Researchers describe the inscription as a literary funerary epigram rather than a simple identification of the person buried there.

According to Angelos Chaniotis of the Institute for Advanced Study, who was not involved with the excavation, its grammar has similarities to the language of Homer's epic poetry.

The inscription presents Pisechtes as a kind and wise man and refers to him as an adviser during his lifetime. This last section of the epigram moves from formality to a more personal approach.

Sarapion, the son, speaks directly to his father and appeals to him to accept the sacrificial libations made on his behalf by his grieving children.

That detail gives the inscription a distinctly personal character. Rather than simply recording who was buried in the tomb, the text preserves something of the relationship between a son and his deceased father.

The writing itself also provides clues about Sarapion's education. Chaniotis noted the use of diacritical marks, including accents, which indicate a high level of familiarity with written Greek.

The discovery is therefore valuable not only because the poem survived for roughly 1,700 years, but because it shows how Greek literary conventions were being used in Egypt during the Roman period.

The tomb's Egyptian inscriptions tell a different part of the story.

Protective spells guarded the dead beyond the grave

The Greek poem was not the only writing found at the burial site.

The protective magic written on the entrance serves to protect the deceased. Some of these spells include references to aspects of the Amduat, an ancient Egyptian text about the sun god’s journey through the netherworld.

The entrance itself reinforces that connection to traditional Egyptian beliefs.

Fourteen steps lead down toward the tomb entrance, which is decorated with imagery including a winged sun disk, Osiris and two cobras.

Archaeologists also identified a scene associated with the seventh hour of the Amduat on the lintel. Egyptian authorities said this is the first example of that particular scene identified among the tombs at the Bir Al-Shaghala necropolis.

Inside, excavators found objects connected with funerary rituals, including an offering table and purification basin, as well as pottery.

The mixture is important because it shows that the use of Greek did not necessarily mean traditional Egyptian religious practices had disappeared.

Instead, the tomb appears to have incorporated different cultural elements. A Greek-speaking, highly educated family could still use Egyptian religious imagery and funerary texts to prepare for the afterlife.

That combination is one of the clearest features of the discovery.

A Roman coin adds another clue to the tomb's history

The tomb also contains evidence of the wider Roman world in which its occupants lived.

Some of the artifacts unearthed include a coin that carries the face of Constantine the Great, the emperor of the Roman Empire from AD 306 to 337.

Constantine the Great holds an eminent place in history during the period due to his conversion to Christianity and his legalisation of this religion.

Yet archaeologists have not reported obvious Christian decorations or Christian texts inside the tomb.

Instead, the burial space retains strong links to older Egyptian religious traditions. The protective hieroglyphs, images of Osiris and references to the Amduat all belong to a much older Egyptian funerary tradition.

That does not necessarily mean the people associated with the tomb rejected newer religious ideas. It does, however, show that traditional Egyptian beliefs remained part of the cultural landscape during the Roman period.

The tomb itself was designed for a married couple and has a pyramid-shaped roof. Archaeologists have also found indications that the monument may have been reused at a later date. A mud-brick shrine above the entrance appears to have been constructed after Pisechtes and his wife were buried.

The site therefore preserves more than one stage of activity, giving archaeologists an opportunity to study how the burial space was used and modified over time.

The tomb reflects a multicultural Egypt under Roman rule

The discovery is particularly revealing because the Dakhla Oasis was not isolated from the cultural changes taking place across Egypt.

Mothis was an important settlement in the oasis during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The newly discovered tomb forms part of the Bir Al-Shaghala necropolis, an area where archaeologists have been excavating since 2002.

The tomb's contents bring several layers of that history together.

The Greek inscription points to the importance of the Greek language and literary education. The hieroglyphs and funerary spells preserve Egyptian religious traditions. The Constantine coin provides a material connection to the Roman Empire.

None of the above elements stands alone.

For the individuals who would use the tomb, Greek was the language in which a cultured parting farewell could be composed, while the Egyptian religious symbols had their place in thoughts on death and the afterlife. The political dominance of Rome created the larger context.

Thus, the creation of a tomb that does not easily fall into one category of culture is achieved.

There is also an unusual personal insight into how a family thought about their dead. The poem was more than just a piece of inscribed graffiti; it was a son’s sorrow and effort to speak to his dead father.

There is still much to learn about Pisechtes himself. The inscription may indicate that he was a judge or held a role as an adviser, but researchers have not reported human remains from the tomb that could provide additional information about him.

For now, the strongest evidence comes from the words and objects left behind.

Almost 1,700 years later, his son's writing is still legible in the company of the magic formulas meant to guard him – giving us a glimpse into the interrelationship between language, family memories, and funerary traditions in ancient Egypt under Roman rule.

Frequently asked questions

1. Where was the 1,700-year-old tomb discovered?

The tomb was found in the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt, near the ancient settlement of Mothis, now Mut. It forms part of the Bir Al-Shaghala necropolis.

2. What was found inside the Egyptian tomb?

Archaeologists found a 19-line funerary poem written in ancient Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphic protective spells, religious imagery, an offering table, a purification basin, pottery and at least one coin depicting Roman emperor Constantine the Great.

3. Who was the Greek poem written about?

The epitaph is a tribute to Pisechtes, who had been interred along with his wife in the tomb. It seems likely that his son Sarapion composed the text as a eulogy to him.

4. Why is the discovery significant?

The tomb combines Greek literary traditions with ancient Egyptian funerary practices and Roman-era material culture. It provides evidence of how different cultural influences existed alongside one another in Egypt during the fourth century AD.