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.

DNA obtained from the remains of a man who lived in ancient Egypt around the time the first pyramids were built is providing evidence of the ties between two great cultures of the period, with a fifth of his genetic ancestry traced to Mesopotamia.

In a groundbreaking scientific discovery, an international research team has successfully sequenced the first whole ancient Egyptian genome from an individual who lived 4,500 to 4,800 years ago – the oldest DNA sample from Egypt to date.