Scientists Sequence 4,500-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Pottery Worker Genome Revealing Genetic Link to Mesopotamia

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Updated Jul 6, 2025, 06:58 PM

Scientists have successfully sequenced the first complete genome of an ancient Egyptian man who lived approximately 4,500 years ago during the Old Kingdom period, coinciding with the construction of the pyramids. The remarkably well-preserved skeleton was discovered in a sealed ceramic pot in a stone tomb in the Nile Valley. Analysis reveals that the man was likely a pottery worker who lived into his 60s and suffered from arthritis. Genetic sequencing shows that about 80% of his ancestry traces back to North Africa, while roughly 20% originates from populations in the Fertile Crescent, including regions corresponding to modern-day Iraq and Mesopotamia, located over 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers away.

This genetic link between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia provides new insights into the cross-cultural ties and population movements in early civilizations. The findings, published in the journal Nature, mark a milestone in ancient DNA research, coming nearly 40 years after the first attempts to extract DNA from Egyptian mummies. This breakthrough has the potential to reshape understandings of the rise and development of Ancient Egyptian civilization.

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#ancient Egyptian #Old Kingdom #Nile Valley #North Africa #Fertile Crescent #Iraq #Mesopotamia #ancient Egypt #Nature #Egyptian #Ancient Egyptian

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Egypt's oldest genome reveals unexpected link to Mesopotamia

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The genome of a man who lived in ancient Egypt over 4500 years ago reveals that some of his ancestors came from the Fertile Crescent, more than 1000 kilometres away.