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

Sealed in a pottery vessel for over 4,500 years, the skeleton of an ancient Egyptian craftsman has now yielded the first complete genome from Egypt's Old Kingdom, offering a rare genetic window into the dawn of the Age of the Pyramids.

Researchers have sequenced the first whole ancient Egyptian genome from an individual who lived 4,500 to 4,800 years ago — the oldest DNA sample from Egypt to date. The body belongs to an adult male who died more than 4,