Ever since they were find bury together , the mummies of Khnum - nakht and Nakht - ankh have always been eff as the “ Two Brothers . ” Over 3,800 yr after their entombment , using “ next generation ” ancient DNA sequencing , we can now actually test whether this moniker is well - establish .
It sour out , the “ Two Brothers ” are n’t exactly blood brother , but half - brothers .
Scientists at the University of Manchester in the UK have been studying this distich for several years . They started by extracting deoxyribonucleic acid from their teeth in 2015 . Now , using a revolutionary new technique , analysis has been carried out on their mitochondrial DNA , which comes from the female parent , and their Y chromosome DNA , which passes relatively unchanged from father to son .
The solution show up that both Nakht - Ankh and Khnum - Nakht belong to mitochondrial haplotype M1a1 , meaning they had the same female parent . However , they did not divvy up the precise same Y chromosome succession , suggesting they had different fathers .
The field , recently issue inJournal of Archaeological Science , is the first prison term scientist have ever pulled off this sort of analysis on Egyptian mummies .
" It was a long and wearing journey to the results but we are lastly here , " said Dr Konstantina Drosou , of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester who conducted the DNA sequencing , ina argument .
" I am very thankful we were capable to add a small but very important piece to the big account puzzle and I am sure the pal would be very proud of us . These second are what make us trust in ancient DNA . "
The “ brothers ” were first observe by workmen in the Egyptian hamlet of Deir Rifeh , some 400 km ( 250 miles ) south of Cairo , in a tomb date back to 1800 BCE . hieroglyph on the two coffins notes that both serviceman were the sons of an unnamed local governor and a mother named Khnum - Alcoholics Anonymous . When the pair were first studied by Egyptologist at the start of the 20th C , they concluded that the skeleton in the cupboard were importantly dissimilar , suggesting an absence of family sexual intercourse or that one of the duo was adopt .
Now we know that they were most likely half - chum , researchers are unsure whether one of the brothers had a surrogate father , if their mother had an liaison , or if she remarry later in lifetime . Then again , giventhe ancient Egyptians’reputation for shameful sexual love involvement and family drama , all option are on the table .
