First-of-its-Kind Genome Sequence Reveals More About the Mysterious Identity of Ancient Egyptians

The first-of-its-kind genome sequence from Egypt has revealed many insights about the individual's life as well as their ancestry. The sequence is special, as this is the first time an entire genome has been sequenced from an ancient Egyptian individual, according to CNN. Over the years, researchers have found many ancient Egyptian remains, but have never been able to sequence a whole genome, because DNA preservation was not ideal. In this case, the different burial of the concerned individual allowed researchers to fulfill this pursuit. Findings regarding this genome sequence have been published in the journal Nature. 

Different Burial

The genome sequence was done through DNA belonging to a man buried in a sealed clay pot in Nuwayrat, a village in South Cairo. Such a burial was prevalent before mummification in Egyptian culture. Further examinations revealed that the man lived between 4,500 and 4,800 years ago. If this assertion is true, then the DNA is the oldest ever extracted from Egypt. Researchers believe the man's remains were well-preserved enough to extract the DNA, because factors like humidity and heat couldn't impact him inside the clay pot. For the examination, experts extracted the DNA from the teeth of the man's skeleton. The genome sequence revealed that the man had 80% North African ancestry and 20% West Asian and Mesopotamian ancestry. 

Puzzling Ancestry of the Man

Past archaeological discoveries have indicated that there were cultural connections between ancient Egypt and the Fertile Crescent, which housed the Mesopotamian civilization. However, this is the first time genetic evidence has backed this assertion. The genome sequence has also shed light on more expansive connections. Dr. Adeline Morez Jacobs, lead author and a research fellow at Liverpool John Moores University, believes that these findings can clear the picture regarding the elusive identity of ancient Egyptians, according to ABC News.

There are several theories about the descent of the people who built the first pyramids. This man appears to have lived before or during the Old Kingdom period, when many of the world-famous pyramids were being constructed. The results suggested that many ancient Egyptians may have come through migrations from Mesopotamian civilization. If this is true, then it means people were moving from very early on in the world's history. "It's quite interesting to see that there is already, potentially, movement across the region that leads to this kind of mixture," Bastien Llamas, an ancient-DNA researcher at the University of Adelaide who wasn't involved in the research, shared.

Ancient Egyptians' Life Story

The pot was unearthed sometime between 1902 to 1904 by a team of experts from the United Kingdom. Inside the pot, about 90% of the man's skeleton had been preserved, according to the Daily Mail. From the skeleton, researchers figured out that the man stood at around 5-foot-3 (1.59 meters) tall and had a slender build. Examinations indicate that he was in an older age range, as he had afflictions like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which do not usually occur when a person is young. Scientists also spotted an unhealed abscess from a tooth infection in his remains. His bones had muscle markings, which typically occur when a person is sitting for long periods with extended limbs. 

Considering all the popular occupations of that time, researchers concluded that he must have been a potter, as the markings only aligned with the demands of this profession. This finding, though, did not align with the fact that he was buried in a rock-cut tomb. Such burials are often given to elites, and pottery was more of a working-class profession. Bioarcheologist and study co-author Joel Irish believes he must have been excellent in his work, and garnered a lot of respect and possibly riches to get such a burial.