After three years of excavations around the sanctuary at Ancient Olympia, archaeologists discovered a clay slab with of 13 verses from the epic Homeric poem “Odyssey” (Odysseus’ speech to Eumaeus).

According to initial estimations by archaeologists, it is dated to the Roman era, probably before the 3rd century. A.D. They even point out that if the preliminary dating is confirmed after the systematic study of the inscription that is underway, it will most probably be the oldest written extract of the Homeric Epics that has come to light and will be one of the most significant and unique archaeological, epigraphic, literary and historical finds.

The Greek Ministry of Culture issued a statement explaining the significance of the find. The excavations and research were under the direction of Dr. Erophili-Iris Koleda, Head of the Hellenic Institute of Political Science, in collaboration with Professors Franziska Lang, Birgitta Eder, Andreas Vött and Hans-Joachim Gehrke of the German Archaeological Institute and the Universities of Darmstadt, Tübingen and Frankfurt am Mainz.