"Unearthing Ancient Plant DNA: Secrets Revealed by 2900-Year-Old Royal Palace Brick"
A 2,900-year-old clay brick from the palace of Neo-Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II in modern-day Iraq has revealed a treasure trove of ancient plant DNA. The brick, bearing a cuneiform inscription, was found at the National Museum of Denmark and researchers successfully extracted and sequenced DNA from its inner core. By comparing the DNA with modern botanical records and ancient Assyrian plant descriptions, the team identified 34 different taxonomic groups of plants. This breakthrough opens up the possibility of using the technique on other clay artifacts, shedding light on ancient biodiversity and providing valuable context for present-day species loss.