Egyptian Mummy’s DNA

The Extraction of an Ancient Egyptian Mummy’s DNA

Back in 1915, US archaeologists went on an excavation mission of the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Deir El-Bersha, where they discovered a hidden tomb. When they opened it, they found a mummy’s gruesomely severed head. The room, in which they discovered the tomb, was the final resting place for a governor named Djehutynakht (juh-HOO-tuh-knocked) along with his wife. They are believed to have existened around 2000 BC during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. Over the years, robbers have stolen the gold and jewels inside the chamber. In order to cover their tracks, they threw the headless, limbless mummified torso into one corner of the room, and set the room on fire.

The archaeologists tried to recover the painted coffins and anything that survived the theft, then sent them to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1921. The collection was exhibited in 2009. As for the body, the torso remained in Egypt, while the detached head became an unsolved mystery, waiting to be revealed. First, the museum needed to know if the head belonged to a he or a she (referring to the governor or his wife). They decided that only a DNA test would answer their question. However, in 2009, the extraction of DNA from mummies was still not a successful progress.

The head of the mummy was examined in Massachusetts General Hospital in 2005, using a CT scan, it was revealed that head had missing cheek bones and part of its jaw hinge. These features could have helped in determining the sex of the mummy. This destruction in the head spiked up another question: why is the face full of disfigurements? Dr. Rajiv Gupta, a neuroradiologist, stated that the attachment of muscles functioning in chewing and closure of the mouth were all taken out. It is believed that this disfigurement may be a part of the ancient mummification practice known as “opening of the mouth” ceremony. This ritual was done since Pharaohs believed that there was an afterlife, and so the deceased could eat, drink and breathe easier. Surprisingly enough, the cuts are very precise – ancient Egyptians somehow performed coronidectomy surgery 4,000 years ago.

What made extraction of DNA from Egyptian mummies so challenging is because of the very hot weather of the desert, rapidly degrading DNA. All attempts to obtain any DNA failed or the results were contaminated with modern DNA. The only option was to ask the Federal Bureau of Investigation for help.

It was decided by the doctors and museum staff that the only way to obtain the mummy’s DNA was to extract a tooth from its mouth. It’s well-known that teeth contain DNA. Many scientists tried to obtain DNA from the tooth, but they still failed. Until 2016, when the crown of the tooth reached the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Virginia. In the FBI’s lab, Dr. Odile Loreille, a forensic scientist, dug into the tooth, collected some powder, then dissolved it.

 The process contained analysis of the sample and the ratio of chromosomes in the sample. The DNA extracted showed signs of heavy damage, which meant that it was not a contaminated modern DNA. And it was a success! Finally, the head was identified: it belonged to a male. And by that, ancient Egyptian DNA could indeed be extracted from mummies. Who knows how many more mysteries can be revealed?