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Utrecht Library Unveils 1,700-Year-Old Odyssey Fragment

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 4:55 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

De Kreij Odyssey Find

Netherlands researcher Mark de Kreij discovered a 1,700-year-old Odyssey fragment in Utrecht University Library.
The 2.6 by 3-inch parchment contains Book 12 verses about Helios’ anger and Zeus’s retaliatory storm.
Researchers date the fragment to a pocket-size Egyptian edition from around AD 300.
Only about 30 similar Odyssey fragments have been discovered worldwide.
It is the second unexpected Homeric find in 2026 after an Iliad papyrus in an Egyptian mummy.

Summary

Library Sparks Buzz

Researcher de Kreij identified the parchment’s true age, correcting its previous seventh-century label.
Utrecht University Library acquired the manuscript collection from Carl Schmidt’s heirs about 70 years ago.
Curator Bart Jaski linked the find to Nolan’s film “The Odyssey” to spark public interest.
RTV Utrecht, Algemeen Dagblad and Radio 1 reported the discovery shortly after Jaski’s announcement.
The library hopes media buzz will showcase hidden collections, attract funding, and trigger a cataloguing review.

History

Historical Context

Oxyrhynchus Papyri discovery in 1900 uncovered thousands of Greek literary fragments, reshaping classical scholarship. Archaeologists Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt recovered more than 500,000 fragments, including rare Homeric texts, catalogued by the British Museum. Similarly, Mark de Kreij’s 2026 identification of a 1,700-year-old Odyssey parchment at Utrecht University Library echoes the earlier breakthrough, revealing an Egyptian edition misdated. These finds continually expand the corpus of ancient literature, prompting renewed funding for manuscript preservation and inspiring public outreach through media like Algemeen Dagblad.

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De Kreij Odyssey Find

Netherlands researcher Mark de Kreij discovered a 1,700-year-old Odyssey fragment in Utrecht University Library.
The 2.6 by 3-inch parchment contains Book 12 verses about Helios’ anger and Zeus’s retaliatory storm.
Researchers date the fragment to a pocket-size Egyptian edition from around AD 300.
Only about 30 similar Odyssey fragments have been discovered worldwide.
It is the second unexpected Homeric find in 2026 after an Iliad papyrus in an Egyptian mummy.

1 / 3