Egyptian Mummy DNA Reveals the Region's Rich, Diverse History

D-brief
By Nathaniel Scharping
May 31, 2017 8:01 PMNov 20, 2019 2:01 AM
Sarcophagus_Tadja_c_Aegyptisches_Museum_Steiss_Sandra.jpg.jpg

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The outer sarcophagus of a woman buried at Abusir el-Malaq. (Credit: bpk/Aegyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, SMB/Sandra Steiss) DNA recovered from ancient Egyptian mummies is revealing the mosaic of cultures that came to dominate the region. German researchers gathered genetic data from over 100 mummies stored in museum collections and analyzed it with updated sequencing techniques. They amassed 90 mitochondrial DNA sequences and three full genomes, a collection they say comprises the most reliable dataset of ancient Egyptian DNA to date. And their work is beginning to illustrate how the modern-day Egyptian population evolved over time, as repeated conquests and dynastic shifts swept through the kingdom.

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