Forty years after the first effort to extract mummy DNA, researchers have finally generated a full genome sequence from an ancient Egyptian, who lived when the earliest pyramids were built

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.

In a first, researchers have sequenced the complete genome of a man from ancient Egypt, and the results reveal that he had genetic ties with Mesopotamian DNA.