# Discovery of ancient Odyssey manuscript fragment > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/discovery-of-ancient-odyssey-manuscript-fragment > Updated: 2026-09-28T19:33:23.000Z. Sources: 15. Developments: 2. Researchers at Utrecht University have identified a rare 1,700-year-old parchment fragment of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ within their archives. The discovery was made by Mark de Kreij, a researcher from Radboud University Nijmegen, while studying ancient manuscript collections. The fragment, measuring approximately 6.6 by 7.7 centimeters, contains verses from Book XII of the epic, recounting the episode where Odysseus’s crew consumes the sacred cattle of the sun god, Helios. Experts believe the piece originated from the Fayum oasis in Egypt and likely belonged to a small, portable ‘pocket edition’ used by students or travelers around the 3rd or 4th century AD. New details reveal that the manuscript had been misidentified for nearly seventy years. It was part of the Schmidt Collection, which the university acquired in 1956, but it remained unnoticed due to inaccurate cataloging. The fragment features Greek writing on both sides and was preserved for centuries because it was stored among other ecclesiastical documents, protecting it from light damage. This find is considered significant as only about thirty similar specimens are known worldwide, confirming the continued popularity of Homeric epics during Late Antiquity. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-28: University of Utrecht rediscovers 1,700-year-old Odyssey fragment A 1,700-year-old fragment of Homer’s Odyssey has been rediscovered at Utrecht University after being misidentified for decades. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/university-of-utrecht-rediscovers-1700-year-old-odyssey-fragment ### 2026-09-15: Utrecht University discovers 1,700-year-old fragment of Homer’s Odyssey A 1,700-year-old fragment of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ has been discovered in the Utrecht University library, containing rare verses from Book XII. 13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/utrecht-university-discovers-1700-year-old-fragment-of-homers-odyssey --- Cite as: Discovery of ancient Odyssey manuscript fragment. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/discovery-of-ancient-odyssey-manuscript-fragment