Unearthing population relatedness at ancient Saqqara: A pilot dental study

The ancient Memphite region, with Memphis as its thriving metropolis (second only to Alexandria during the Graeco-Roman era), was a melting pot of diverse communities. Unraveling the complex history and kinship of the people who lived there, from the Old Kingdom through the Graeco-Roman Period, is a key focus of our ongoing research.

To trace population history and biological relationships, we are studying human remains from the Saqqara burial grounds. Specifically, our team is examining teeth for the presence or absence of “non-metric traits.” These traits are discrete, heritable variations in the shape and structure of tooth crowns and roots. Because these variations are largely genetic, they provide a reliable, physical link between individuals and their ancestral populations. By applying “biodistance analysis”—a method that compares the frequency of these traits across different groups—we can statistically measure how closely related these ancient communities were.

Our initial findings, which we reported at the Annual Conference of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology, indicate some differences in the presence of those traits between the populations buried at Saqqara West during the Old Kingdom and those from later periods, which can shed light on the population dynamics of the region over time. We are currently conducting further, more detailed analysis to illuminate the intricate biological history of these ancient populations.