DNA Sequencing Technology Solves Ancient ‘Two Brothers’ Mummy Mystery

Khnum-nakht and Nakht-ankh both belonged to mitochondrial haplotype M1a1 which is significant of a maternal genetic relationship.

Published: January 19, 2018 4:51 PM IST

By India.com Buzz Desk

DNA Sequencing Technology Solves Ancient 'Two Brothers' Mummy Mystery
The 'Two Brothers' mummies (The University of Manchester).

A 4,000-year-old mystery about a pair of mummies which was dubbed as the ‘Two Brothers’ has finally been solved by the experts at the University of Manchester in the UK. Scientists used ‘next generation’ DNA sequencing technology and discovered that the mummies at the Manchester Museum are in reality half-brothers. The mummies were discovered in 1907 and date back to around 1800 BC and are of Khnum-nakht and Nakht-ankh. Egyptologists have long since debated the origins of the two mummies and whether they were related or not. The hi-tech DNA test lay to rest the mystery behind the two mummies.

The two mummies were found at a joint burial site at Deir Rifeh, about 250 miles south of Cairo. They had similar inscriptions on their coffins indicating they were sons of an unnamed local governor. The name of their mother was also inscribed on their coffins which was Khnum-aa. In 1908, when the tomb’s contents were shipped to Manchester, archaeologists concluded that the mummies’ skeletal morphologies were different which made them conclude that a family relationship was absent. It was also proposed that one of the brothers might have been adopted. This week it was revealed that DNA which was extracted in 2015 from the mummies’ teeth has finally solved the puzzle. Best Friends For 60 Years Now Discover They Are Brothers

Khnum-nakht and Nakht-ankh both belonged to mitochondrial haplotype M1a1 which is significant of a maternal genetic relationship. They had different fathers as their Y chromosome sequences showed variations and must have been half-brothers according to scientists. Dr. Konstantina Drosou, of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester who conducted the DNA sequencing, said in a statement, “It was a long and exhausting journey to the results but we are finally here.” Har Gobind Khorana: Google Doodle Honours Nobel Prize Winner on his 96th Birthday

He further added, “I am very grateful we were able to add a small but very important piece to the big history puzzle and I am sure the brothers would be very proud of us. These moments are what make us believe in ancient DNA.” Dr. Campbell Price, curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum further said, “Our reconstructions will always be speculative to some extent but to be able to link these two men in this way is an exciting first.”

The results of the study and the scientists’ findings are published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. DNA analysis has been utilized by other projects to gain insight into the ancient world. DNA analysis is being used to shed light on the mysterious ancient Minoan civilization on the island of Crete and their counterparts, the Mycenaeans.  In 2016, DNA obtained from an ancient Phoenician revealed that the man had European ancestry which was a surprise for the scientists.

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