Researchers have sequenced the first complete genome from ancient Egypt, extracted from a man who lived between 4,500 and 4,800 years ago, during the era when the first pyramids were built. The analysis, published in Nature, offers a rare look at population dynamics in early dynastic Egypt, where genetic data have long been absent due to DNA degradation in hot climates.
The individual’s remains were excavated in 1902 in the village of Nuwayrat, south of Cairo, and were transferred to the World Museum Liverpool. The man was buried in a ceramic vessel in a hillside tomb before the introduction of artificial mummification. Researchers extracted DNA from one of his teeth and used whole genome sequencing to reconstruct his genetic profile.
The genome revealed that approximately 80% of his ancestry derived from ancient North African populations, while the remaining 20% was linked to ancient peoples of the Fertile Crescent, particularly Mesopotamia.
“This individual has been on an extraordinary journey,” said Linus Girdland Flink of the University of Aberdeen and Liverpool John Moores University. “He lived and died during a critical period of change in ancient Egypt… We’ve now been able to tell part of the individual’s story, finding that some of his ancestry came from the Fertile Crescent, highlighting mixture between groups at this time.”
Additional analyses of the skeleton suggest a physically demanding life, likely in pottery or a similar craft. “His seat bones are expanded in size, his arms showed evidence of extensive movement back and forth, and there’s substantial arthritis in just the right foot,” said Joel Irish of Liverpool John Moores University. Yet his high-status burial raises questions about his social position.
This is the first genome successfully sequenced from ancient Egypt, marking a technical advance in overcoming long-standing preservation challenges. Future studies aim to examine more individuals to better understand the genetic structure and mobility of early Egyptian populations.
Publication Details
Morez Jacobs, A., Irish, J.D., Cooke, A. et al. Whole-genome ancestry of an Old Kingdom Egyptian. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09195-5
The individual’s remains were excavated in 1902 in the village of Nuwayrat, south of Cairo, and were transferred to the World Museum Liverpool. The man was buried in a ceramic vessel in a hillside tomb before the introduction of artificial mummification. Researchers extracted DNA from one of his teeth and used whole genome sequencing to reconstruct his genetic profile.
The genome revealed that approximately 80% of his ancestry derived from ancient North African populations, while the remaining 20% was linked to ancient peoples of the Fertile Crescent, particularly Mesopotamia.
“This individual has been on an extraordinary journey,” said Linus Girdland Flink of the University of Aberdeen and Liverpool John Moores University. “He lived and died during a critical period of change in ancient Egypt… We’ve now been able to tell part of the individual’s story, finding that some of his ancestry came from the Fertile Crescent, highlighting mixture between groups at this time.”
Additional analyses of the skeleton suggest a physically demanding life, likely in pottery or a similar craft. “His seat bones are expanded in size, his arms showed evidence of extensive movement back and forth, and there’s substantial arthritis in just the right foot,” said Joel Irish of Liverpool John Moores University. Yet his high-status burial raises questions about his social position.
This is the first genome successfully sequenced from ancient Egypt, marking a technical advance in overcoming long-standing preservation challenges. Future studies aim to examine more individuals to better understand the genetic structure and mobility of early Egyptian populations.
Publication Details
Morez Jacobs, A., Irish, J.D., Cooke, A. et al. Whole-genome ancestry of an Old Kingdom Egyptian. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09195-5