Ancient DNA shows genetic link between Egypt and Mesopotamia

Ancient DNA has revealed a genetic link between the cultures of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, according to research published in a journal this week

2 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies
03 July, 2025



Antoine says the Nile River is likely to gave acted an as "ancient highway" [Getty]

Ancient DNA has revealed a genetic link between the cultures of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Nature.


Researchers sequenced whole genomes from the teeth of a remarkably well-preserved skeleton found in a sealed funeral pot in an Egyptian tomb site dating to between 4,495 and 4,880 years ago.

Four-fifths of the genome showed links to North Africa and the region around Egypt. But a fifth of the genome showed links to the area in the Middle East between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known as the Fertile Crescent, where Mesopotamian civilization flourished.

"The finding is highly significant" because it "is the first direct evidence of what has been hinted at in prior work," said Daniel Antoine, curator of Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum.

Earlier archaeological evidence has shown trade links between Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as similarities in pottery-making techniques and pictorial writing systems. While resemblances in dental structures suggested possible ancestral links, the new study clarifies the genetic ties.

More:
https://www.newarab.com/news/ancient-dna-shows-genetic-link-between-egypt-and-mesopotamia