For the first time, scientists have sequenced the full genome of a 4,800-year-old Egyptian man. The DNA reveals North African roots with Mesopotamian links—reshaping our understanding of ancient Egypt.

But while experts now know a fair amount about ancient Egyptian life, they still understand very little about the population’s genetic makeup. Researchers have genomically analyzed three specimens to date,

More than 4,000 years ago, Egypt and Mesopotamia stood as two of the most complex societies on the planet. But the new DNA sequencing reveals how these two populations also intermingled.