The 'talking' skeleton of an ancient Egyptian

DNA obtained from the remains of a man who lived during ancient Egypt (when the first pyramids were built) provides evidence of a link between two major cultures of that period, according to Reuters.

Although based on a single genome, the findings provide unique insight into the genetic history of ancient Egyptians – a difficult task given that Egypt's hot climate is not conducive to DNA preservation.

Rock tombs at Nuwayrat, Egypt excavated in 1902

PHOTO: REUTERS

Researchers took DNA from the roots of two teeth from the remains of a man buried millennia ago in a large, sealed ceramic jar in a stone tomb. They then sequenced his entire genome.

Decoding the genes of ancient Egyptians thanks to a nearly 4,800-year-old tooth

The man lived about 4,500-4,800 years ago, around the beginning of a prosperous and stable period known as the Old Kingdom, famous for the construction of giant pyramids as tombs for pharaohs, researchers say.

The pottery jar was excavated in 1902 at a site called Nuwayrat near the village of Beni Hassan, about 270 kilometers south of Cairo. Researchers determined that the man was about 60 years old when he died. His remains suggest that he was a potter.

The DNA also showed that the man was descended from local people, with about 80% of his ancestry originating from Egypt or nearby regions of North Africa. But about 20% of his ancestry originated from an ancient Near Eastern region that included Mesopotamia.

"This shows a significant genetic link between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia," said geneticist Adeline Morez Jacobs of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK and the Francis Crick Institute in London, lead author of the study published on July 2 in the journal Nature .

The findings are based on archaeological evidence of trade and cultural exchange between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia - an area stretching from present-day Iraq to parts of Iran and Syria.

During the 3rd millennium BC, Egypt and Mesopotamia were the pioneers of human civilization, with achievements in writing, architecture, art, religion, and technology.

Researchers say ancient Egypt had cultural links with Mesopotamia, based on some of its art, architecture and imported goods such as lapis lazuli, a blue gemstone.

The pottery wheel from Mesopotamia first appeared in Egypt around this time, the period when the first pyramids began to appear near present-day Cairo, beginning with the step pyramid of pharaoh Djoser at Saqqara and then the great pyramid of pharaoh Khufu at Giza.

About 90% of the man’s skeleton is preserved. He was about 1.59 meters tall, had a slender build, and suffered from age-related diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, as well as a large, unhealed abscess from a tooth infection.

The man's skeleton was buried inside a large ceramic jar.

PHOTO: REUTERS

"Recovering DNA from ancient Egyptian remains is challenging because Egypt's hot climate accelerates DNA degradation. High temperatures break down genetic material over time compared to cooler, more stable environments," said study co-author Pontus Skoglund, a geneticist at the Francis Crick Institute.

"In this case, burial in a ceramic jar inside a stone tomb may have contributed to the preservation of DNA at the site," Skoglund added.

The man's burial took place before mummification (common practice in Egypt) may have helped avoid DNA degradation because his remains did not require sophisticated preservation techniques.

"He must have been of high status to be buried in a stone tomb. This contradicts his material hardship and the speculation that he was a potter, which is usually a working class person. Perhaps he was an excellent potter," said bioarchaeologist Joel Irish, also of Liverpool John Moores University (UK).

Meanwhile, according to bioarchaeologist and study co-author Linus Girdland Flink of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, scientists have struggled to reconstruct the genome of ancient Egyptians. “Yes, it was a huge effort,” Skoglund said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-xuong-biet-noi-cua-nguoi-ai-cap-co-dai-185250703074110536.htm