Forty years after the first effort to extract mummy DNA, researchers have finally generated a full genome sequence from an ancient Egyptian, who lived when the earliest pyramids were built

The oldest known Egyptian DNA sample, from a man who lived between 4,500 to 4,800 years ago, offers new insights into the potential ancestry of those who belonged to the enduring civilization.

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.