Unroll Please: Deciphering the Genetic Code in Scrolls and Other Ancient Materials

Abstract

The unrelenting development of ancient DNA methods now allows researchers to obtain archaeogenetic data from increasingly diverse sources. In a new study in this issue of Cell, researchers apply the latest DNA technologies to unravel the mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the world's most famous and influential sets of ancient parchments. Figure 1. Genetic Characterization of ParchmentsAncient DNA allows for species identification of the animal skins that parchments of the Dead Sea Scrolls were made from.