Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
anthropological questions, burial customs, ancient Egypt, DNA
College
Life Sciences
Department
Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Abstract
Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have allowed us to gain knowledge about the ancient populations of the world. A team of BYU students and faculty has excavated a group of bodies, dating from 200 B.C. to 400 A.D., found in the Fag El Gamous cemetery in Egypt. A major observation from the excavations has been that the earlier, or lower burials, in the cemetery are buried with their heads to the east. As you move up in the cemetery, to more recent dates, a distinct change occurs in the orientation of the burials. The bodies are placed with their heads to the west. We believe that this change in burial patterns in this cemetery were directly affected by changes in the population of people that resided in the same area. It is proposed that these changes can be identified by the genetic signatures present in the DNA of the ancient population. Previous genetic analyses of samples taken from these people have revealed clusters of family based burials. Through further genetic analysis of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of these people, we would like to be able to answer a significant anthropological question concerning the origin of these changes in burial customs.
Recommended Citation
Tolman, Jamey and Woodward, Dr. Scott
(2014)
"A Molecular Approach to Answering an Anthropological Question Concerning Burial Customs in an Ancient Egypt Population,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014:
Iss.
1, Article 817.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/817