Ancient DNA reveals surprising Mesopotamian ancestry in 4,500-year-old Egyptian
The findings, reported by the Daily Mail Online, offer direct biological proof of the deep, historical ties between the civilizations of the Nile Valley and the Fertile Crescent.
The subject of the study was an individual who lived approximately 4,500 to 4,800 years ago during Egypt's Old Kingdom, the era renowned for the construction of colossal pyramids. His well-preserved skeleton was discovered in 1902 inside a large clay funerary jar within a rock-cut tomb at the Al-Nuwayrat site near Sohag, Egypt.
Analysis of the remains shows he was around 60 years old when he died, stood about 1.59 meters (5'2″) tall, and had a slender build. He suffered from age-related conditions like osteoarthritis, and skeletal marks suggest he may have been a skilled craftsman, possibly a potter, due to evidence of sitting for long periods with his limbs extended. His high-status burial in a rock-cut tomb further suggests he was a respected figure.
The scientific team successfully extracted ancient DNA from the roots of two of the man's teeth to sequence his entire genome. The results were startling. While roughly 80% of his ancestry was traced to North Africa, as expected, the remaining 20% showed a clear genetic link to the Ancient Near East, specifically the Fertile Crescent, which includes Mesopotamia.
'This indicates fundamental genetic links between ancient Egypt and the eastern Fertile Crescent,' said Adeline Mauries-Jacobs, the study's lead author.
This genetic revelation provides powerful scientific backing for long-held archaeological theories about the deep cultural and trade exchanges between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. During the 3rd millennium BCE, these two regions were the vanguards of human civilization, pioneering writing, architecture, and technology.
Archaeologists have previously noted shared artistic motifs and the presence of Mesopotamian imports in Egypt, such as lapis lazuli. Crucially, the potter's wheel, a Mesopotamian invention, first appeared in Egypt during the very period this man lived—a powerful connection, given his likely profession. This was the same era when the first pyramids were rising near modern Cairo.
The study, as co-author and bio-archaeologist Joelle Irish noted, affirms the subject's high status. This discovery does more than just analyze one man's DNA; it provides a living link between two of humanity's foundational cultures, proving their worlds were not separate, but deeply and ancestrally intertwined.
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Ancient DNA reveals surprising Mesopotamian ancestry in 4,500-year-old Egyptian
Baghdad ( – In a groundbreaking discovery that redraws the lines of connection between the world's earliest civilizations, a new scientific study has revealed that an ancient Egyptian man who lived during the age of the great pyramids had significant genetic ancestry from Mesopotamia, the land of ancient Iraq. The study, led by a team from Liverpool John Moores University, marks the first time the complete genome of an individual from ancient Egypt has been successfully sequenced. The findings, reported by the Daily Mail Online, offer direct biological proof of the deep, historical ties between the civilizations of the Nile Valley and the Fertile Crescent. The subject of the study was an individual who lived approximately 4,500 to 4,800 years ago during Egypt's Old Kingdom, the era renowned for the construction of colossal pyramids. His well-preserved skeleton was discovered in 1902 inside a large clay funerary jar within a rock-cut tomb at the Al-Nuwayrat site near Sohag, Egypt. Analysis of the remains shows he was around 60 years old when he died, stood about 1.59 meters (5'2″) tall, and had a slender build. He suffered from age-related conditions like osteoarthritis, and skeletal marks suggest he may have been a skilled craftsman, possibly a potter, due to evidence of sitting for long periods with his limbs extended. His high-status burial in a rock-cut tomb further suggests he was a respected figure. The scientific team successfully extracted ancient DNA from the roots of two of the man's teeth to sequence his entire genome. The results were startling. While roughly 80% of his ancestry was traced to North Africa, as expected, the remaining 20% showed a clear genetic link to the Ancient Near East, specifically the Fertile Crescent, which includes Mesopotamia. 'This indicates fundamental genetic links between ancient Egypt and the eastern Fertile Crescent,' said Adeline Mauries-Jacobs, the study's lead author. This genetic revelation provides powerful scientific backing for long-held archaeological theories about the deep cultural and trade exchanges between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. During the 3rd millennium BCE, these two regions were the vanguards of human civilization, pioneering writing, architecture, and technology. Archaeologists have previously noted shared artistic motifs and the presence of Mesopotamian imports in Egypt, such as lapis lazuli. Crucially, the potter's wheel, a Mesopotamian invention, first appeared in Egypt during the very period this man lived—a powerful connection, given his likely profession. This was the same era when the first pyramids were rising near modern Cairo. The study, as co-author and bio-archaeologist Joelle Irish noted, affirms the subject's high status. This discovery does more than just analyze one man's DNA; it provides a living link between two of humanity's foundational cultures, proving their worlds were not separate, but deeply and ancestrally intertwined.
