Ancient DNA extracted from 2,900-year-old clay palace brick ‘time capsule’ for first time

Ancient DNA has been extracted from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, doubtlessly unlocking new methods of learning life from generations passed by.

The operation was carried out on constructing materials from the palace of King Ashurnasirpal II within the historical metropolis of Kalhu, which stood in what’s now northern Iraq.

After sequencing the extracted DNA, specialists recognized 34 teams of crops – together with birch and cabbage.

It marks the primary time such a breakthrough has been made.

Dr Troels Arboll, of the University of Copenhagen, described the brick as a “biodiversity time capsule”.

It’s thought the genetic materials was preserved because of the actual fact the brick was by no means burned, as an alternative left to dry naturally after being constituted of mud and different supplies like straw and animal poo.

The brick dates again to a time between when work on the palace, now often called the Northwest Palace at Nimrud, started in 879 BC and when it was accomplished in 869 BC.

It’s at present housed on the National Museum of Denmark.

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While the brand new analysis, printed within the Nature Scientific Reports journal, solely particulars crops, researchers consider animal and bug DNA might be extracted utilizing the identical strategies.

The plant materials was extracted by adapting strategies beforehand used on different porous supplies, reminiscent of bone.

Clay supplies are almost at all times current at archaeological websites from completely different eras around the globe, making them a doubtlessly wealthy supply of additional DNA research.

First writer Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen, of the University of Oxford, stated the workforce have been “absolutely thrilled” by the findings and the potential for future discoveries.