Researchers have obtained the complete genome sequence of an ancient Egyptian man who lived over 4,500 years ago during the Old Kingdom period.
According to a report by New Scientist, the man's skeletal remains suggest he may have worked as a potter or craftsman. His bones exhibited muscle markings indicative of sitting with outstretched limbs for extended periods, and wear patterns on his knees and hands resemble positions associated with operating a pottery wheel. The Egyptian skeleton, believed to be that of a potter, was sealed in a ceramic funerary pot with his knees curled to his chin. This unusual burial method indicates an elevated social status for someone engaged in manual labor, as reported by The Washington Post.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and Liverpool John Moores University, marks the first successful complete genome sequencing of an ancient Egyptian after decades of failed attempts. The individual's remains were discovered in 1902 in the village of Nuwayrat, approximately 265 kilometers south of Cairo, during excavations led by archaeologist John Garstang. The body was placed in an airtight clay vessel inside a rock-cut tomb, which likely contributed to the exceptional preservation of his DNA for millennia.
"It's exciting that we can obtain genomes from this place and time," said Pontus Skoglund, head of the Ancient Genomics Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute in London, according to RMF24. The genome analysis revealed that approximately 77.6% of the man's DNA originated from Neolithic North African populations, specifically from the Central Maghreb region. Additionally, about 20% of his ancestry was linked to populations in West Asia, particularly in Mesopotamia.
"This genome allows us, for the first time, to get insights into the genetic ancestry of an ancient Egyptian individual from the Old Kingdom period," said Adeline Morez Jacobs, the study's lead researcher and a biological anthropologist, as reported by The Washington Post. The findings provide genetic evidence supporting archaeological theories about population movements and interactions between ancient Egypt and neighboring regions.
The man's skeletal analysis indicated he died between the ages of 44 and 64, with a higher probability towards the latter. Signs of hard physical labor were evident, yet his prestigious burial suggests a complex social narrative. "That's interesting because it's also at odds with the fact that he had an incredibly hard physical life," said Joel Irish, an archaeologist at Liverpool John Moores University and co-author of the study, according to The Washington Post.
Researchers extracted DNA from the roots of the man's teeth. Two of the seven DNA extracts were preserved well enough to be fully sequenced, marking an advancement in recovering ancient DNA from Egyptian remains. Previous attempts to extract DNA from mummified remains were largely unsuccessful due to the degradation caused by the mummification process.
"This individual has been on an extraordinary journey," said Linus Girdland-Flink, a co-author and biomolecular archaeologist at the University of Aberdeen, according to National Geographic. "We've now been able to tell part of the individual's story, finding that some of his ancestry came from the Fertile Crescent, highlighting a mixing of groups from North Africa and the Middle East at this time."
The presence of Mesopotamian ancestry aligns with archaeological evidence of cultural connections between ancient Egypt and the Fertile Crescent. Shared artifacts, domesticated plants and animals, and writing systems suggest that these regions were interconnected through both trade and migration.
Despite the novelty of the study, researchers caution that more genomic data from additional individuals are necessary to fully understand the genetic history of ancient Egypt. "We need to remember, this is a single individual. We didn't capture the full diversity of the population," Morez Jacobs noted during a conference.
Written with the help of a news-analysis system.