3,000-year-old Egyptian wheat genome sequenced for first time

The genome of an ancient Egyptian wheat has been sequenced for the first time by a UCL-led team, revealing historical patterns of crop movement and domestication. The study was carried out by an international research team, which mapped the genetic code from a sample of wheat harvested over 3,000 years ago, that was excavated in 1924 from the Hememiah North Spur site in Egypt. The sample, which is currently on display in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL having been stored there for 90 years, showcases the scientific potential of museum specimens. Alongside colleagues from the Natural History Museum and the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, Barcelona, the researchers showed the wheat already had most of the genetic characteristics associated with domestication. For example, the wheat had genetic mutations to make it non-shattering, meaning it retained its seeds, making harvest easier but hindering natural dispersal. The DNA comes from emmer wheat, one of the first cereals domesticated in the old world. The Romans called it 'Pharaoh's wheat', owing to the fact that it was the most common type of wheat in ancient Egypt.