Scientists have for the first time sequenced the most complete and oldest ancient Egyptian genome ever found—unlocking new secrets from the Old Kingdom.

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,

A skeleton found in a 4,500-year-old ceramic pot has rewritten the history of Ancient Egypt. A DNA test on the man’s bones has upended how historians could view the rise of Ancient Egyptian civilisation. The skeleton, found 165 miles south of Cairo at Nuwayrat, belongs to a 60-year-old potter who lived between 2855–2570 BC.