Unearthing the Past: Two 7,000-Year-Old Mummified Women With Mysterious DNA Profiles Discovered

Two mummified women found in a rock shelter in southern Libya are changing how we see ancient North Africa. These remains, around 7,000 years old, belong to a unique group of people with no clear links to sub-Saharan Africa.

Genetic analysis reveals they carry only a tiny trace of Neanderthal ancestry. This hints at ancient human connections, notably from groups that once roamed Europe and western Asia. Interestingly, the study suggests that the spread of herding in the central Sahara happened more through shared practices than mass migrations.

Nada Salem, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute, leads this crucial research. She studies how African populations evolved over time. Ancient DNA helps tell the story of a wetter Sahara, known as the African Humid Period, which lasted from about 14,500 to 5,000 years ago. Back then, the Sahara boasted rivers and lakes, unlike the vast desert we know today. As the climate changed and the Sahara dried up, people and animals were forced into smaller livable areas.

In the Takarkori rock shelter, archaeologists found layers of human activity, from hunter-fishers to herders. Among those layers were the well-preserved mummies of the two women, wrapped in mats.

Their genomes reveal they belong to a long-isolated branch of humanity, separated from sub-Saharan populations around the time modern humans began to migrate out of Africa roughly 50,000 years ago. While they have been mostly separate, traces of their ancestry still exist across North Africa.

When comparing this new genetic data with ancient remains from Taforalt Cave in northern Morocco, which dates back around 15,000 years, a clear connection emerges. The people from Taforalt are known for their unique stone tools and shared ancestry.

Harsh weather drove ancient populations apart, limiting gene flow. Studies show later farmers from other regions mixed with local populations instead of replacing them.

The Takarkori women’s genomes show about 0.15 percent Neanderthal DNA. This is low compared to people descended from populations outside Africa but higher than what is typically found in sub-Saharan Africans. This suggests early North African groups were mostly isolated but had occasional contact with outside communities.

Current research indicates that herding practices spread through cultural exchange rather than mass migration. This aligns with archaeological findings that show continuity in tools and burial practices at Takarkori.

The people of the ancient Green Sahara actively shaped their culture. They merged new practices with traditional ways of living, influencing cultural traditions that still resonate in North Africa today.

This study deepens our understanding of human migration patterns and how various cultures blended. It shows that populations in North Africa were not passive recipients of outside influences but dynamic participants in their own historical narrative.

For those interested in a deeper dive, you can find more details in the study published in Nature here. The work offers significant insights into the complex history of human settlements in North Africa, helping to fill gaps in our understanding of human movements across the continent.

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