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Until now, genetic models used to trace the origins of ancient Egyptian populations have largely focused on connections with the Eastern Mediterranean or the Levant. But a new study could challenge those assumptions. A team of researchers from Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and France has identified a strong ancestral link with Neolithic populations of the Western Mediterranean, specifically from present-day Morocco, which accounts for 77.6% of the genetic origin.
Published on July 2, 2025, in the journal Nature, the findings are based on the genome sequencing of a well-preserved burial in the Nuwayrat necropolis in Middle Egypt, near the village of Beni Hasan, 265 km south of Cairo. The analysis revealed that the remaining 20% of the individual’s ancestry traces back to the eastern Fertile Crescent, including early agricultural societies of Mesopotamia.
This genetic affinity is similar to that found in Neolithic and Bronze Age populations in Anatolia and the Levant, the researchers note. Burial conditions suggest that the individual belonged to the elite social class of the time.
While more genomes need to be analyzed to better understand the genetic diversity of early Egypt, the findings suggest that links with the Fertile Crescent extended beyond material culture, such as domesticated animals, plants, or writing systems, and included human migration.
«One possible explanation for the successful whole-genome retrieval is the pot burial, which may have favoured a degree of DNA preservation not previously reported in Egypt», the study states. This contributes to the road map for future research to obtain ancient DNA from Egypt.
North Africa’s Role in Egypt’s Origins
This research reinforces the idea that North Africa may have played a more significant role in the origins of ancient Egypt than previously thought.
Ancient Egyptian civilization flourished for millennia, peaking during the dynastic period (circa 3150–30 BC). Notably, this coincides with the existence of an agricultural society in Morocco, dated between 3400 and 2900 BC, the first such complex in Africa outside the Nile Valley. This suggests that Neolithic North Africa may have played a central role in the region’s history.
Until now, poor DNA preservation in the Nile Valley has limited understanding of Egypt’s genetic and regional connections. In this study, researchers succeeded in sequencing the full genome, at 2x coverage, of an adult male buried in Nuwayrat. Radiocarbon dating places the remains between 2855 and 2570 BCE, a period that spans the early dynastic era and the Old Kingdom.
The man’s body was buried inside a ceramic pot placed in a rock-cut tomb, a burial practice typically reserved for individuals of higher status, as seen in elite burials of the same period near the royal necropolis of Memphis.
Opening New Research Frontiers
Although the study is based on a single genome and may not reflect the broader population, the data reveal ancestral ties with older North African populations and those from the eastern Fertile Crescent.
«Analyses of dental traits and craniometrics of the Nuwayrat individual, as well as in previous morphological studies based on full samples», the researchers explain.
These findings add to the evidence of cultural diffusion from the eastern Fertile Crescent, particularly in plant and animal domestication and social organization. They also suggest the possibility of human migrations to Egypt during these early periods.
«The Nuwayrat genome also allowed us to investigate the Bronze Age roots of ancestry in later Egypt, highlighting the interplay between population movement and continuity in the region», the study concludes.
Looking ahead, sequencing more ancient genomes could deepen our understanding of Egypt’s early population structure, its connections with the rest of Africa, and the broader patterns of intracontinental migration.
For now, this research broadens the historical lens—inviting a more nuanced exploration of ancient Egyptian identity and its African roots.
