Ancient plant DNA has been extracted from a brick excavated at an Assyrian palace in Iraq, providing much-needed clues to the ecosystem which existed 2,900-years-ago.
• For the first time, a group of researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick.
• The analysis provides a fascinating insight into the diversity of plant species cultivated at that time and place, and could open the way to similar studies on clay material from other sites and time periods.
• The results are published today in Nature Scientific Reports.
The genetic material was extracted from a clay brick used during construction of a royal palace in the ancient city of Kalhu. An inscription on it revealed it belonged to Ashurnasirpal, king of the Mesopotamian Assyria.
Oxford Unearths 2,900-Year-Old Plant DNA in Clay Brick miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ancient DNA Unearthed from 2,900-Year-Old Clay Brick miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.