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Ancient Egyptian mummy genomes suggest an increase of Sub-Saharan African ancestry in post-Roman periods

Author

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  • Verena J. Schuenemann

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
    Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen)

  • Alexander Peltzer

    (Integrative Transcriptomics, Center for Bioinformatics, University of Tübingen
    Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Beatrix Welte

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen)

  • W. Paul van Pelt

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Martyna Molak

    (Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Chuan-Chao Wang

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Anja Furtwängler

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen)

  • Christian Urban

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen)

  • Ella Reiter

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen)

  • Kay Nieselt

    (Integrative Transcriptomics, Center for Bioinformatics, University of Tübingen)

  • Barbara Teßmann

    (Berlin Society of Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory)

  • Michael Francken

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen)

  • Katerina Harvati

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
    Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen
    DFG Centre for Advanced Studies ‘Words, Bones, Genes, Tools: Tracking Linguistic, Cultural and Biological Trajectories of the Human Past’, University of Tübingen)

  • Wolfgang Haak

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide)

  • Stephan Schiffels

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Johannes Krause

    (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
    Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen
    Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

Abstract

Egypt, located on the isthmus of Africa, is an ideal region to study historical population dynamics due to its geographic location and documented interactions with ancient civilizations in Africa, Asia and Europe. Particularly, in the first millennium BCE Egypt endured foreign domination leading to growing numbers of foreigners living within its borders possibly contributing genetically to the local population. Here we present 90 mitochondrial genomes as well as genome-wide data sets from three individuals obtained from Egyptian mummies. The samples recovered from Middle Egypt span around 1,300 years of ancient Egyptian history from the New Kingdom to the Roman Period. Our analyses reveal that ancient Egyptians shared more ancestry with Near Easterners than present-day Egyptians, who received additional sub-Saharan admixture in more recent times. This analysis establishes ancient Egyptian mummies as a genetic source to study ancient human history and offers the perspective of deciphering Egypt’s past at a genome-wide level.

Suggested Citation

  • Verena J. Schuenemann & Alexander Peltzer & Beatrix Welte & W. Paul van Pelt & Martyna Molak & Chuan-Chao Wang & Anja Furtwängler & Christian Urban & Ella Reiter & Kay Nieselt & Barbara Teßmann & Mich, 2017. "Ancient Egyptian mummy genomes suggest an increase of Sub-Saharan African ancestry in post-Roman periods," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15694
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15694
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    Cited by:

    1. Kendra A. Sirak & Daniel M. Fernandes & Mark Lipson & Swapan Mallick & Matthew Mah & Iñigo Olalde & Harald Ringbauer & Nadin Rohland & Carla S. Hadden & Éadaoin Harney & Nicole Adamski & Rebecca Berna, 2021. "Social stratification without genetic differentiation at the site of Kulubnarti in Christian Period Nubia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.

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