Researchers Extract Ancient DNA from a 2,900-Year-Old Clay Brick, Revealing a Time Capsule of Plant Life

For the first time, a group of researchers has successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick. The analysis provides a fascinating insight into the diversity of plant species cultivated at that time and place, and could open the way to similar studies on clay material from other sites and time periods. The results were published on August 22, 2013 in Scientific Reports. The open-access article is titled “Revealing the Secrets of a 2900‑Year‑Old Clay Brick, Discovering a Time Capsule of Ancient DNA.”