The oldest known Egyptian DNA sample, from a man who lived between 4,500 to 4,800 years ago, offers new insights into the potential ancestry of those who belonged to the enduring civilization.

A new study sequencing the first complete ancient Egyptian genome reveals the 4,500-year-old man had significant ancestry from Mesopotamia (modern Iraq).

This major milestone comes four decades after initial efforts by Nobel laureate Svante Pääbo to recover ancient Egyptian DNA ended with limited results due to poor preservation. The newly reconstructed genome provides valuable genetic evidence of Egypt’s ancient connections with both North Africa and West Asia,