Genetic secrets of ancient Egypt unwrapped

Context

DNA from mummies found at a site once known for its cult to the Egyptian god of the afterlife is unwrapping intriguing insight into the people of ancient Egypt, including a surprise discovery that they had scant genetic ties to sub-Saharan Africa.

About the DNA extracted

• The DNA was extracted from the teeth and bones of mummies from a burial ground associated with the god Osiris. The oldest were from about 1,388 BC during the New Kingdom, a high point in ancient Egyptian influence and culture.
• The most recent were from about 426 AD, centuries after Egypt had become a Roman Empire province.
• Mummification was used to preserve the bodies of the dead for the afterlife. The mummies in the study were of middle-class people, not royalty.

Questions Raised

• Are modern Egyptians direct descendants of ancient Egyptians?
• Was there genetic continuity in Egypt through time?
• Did foreign invaders change the genetic make-up: for example, did Egyptians become more ‘European’ after Alexander the Great conquered Egypt?

Findings

• The genomes showed that, unlike modern Egyptians, ancient Egyptians had little to no genetic kinship with sub-Saharan populations, some of which like ancient Ethiopia were known to have had significant interactions with Egypt.
• The closest genetic ties were to the peoples of the ancient Near East, spanning parts of Iraq and Turkey as well as Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.