Edward C. Inglis

Ancient Egyptian society flourished for millennia, reaching its peak during the Dynastic Period (approximately 3150–30 bce). However, owing to poor DNA preservation, questions about regional interconnectivity over time have not been addressed because whole-genome sequencing has not yet been possible. Here we sequenced a 2× coverage whole genome from an adult male Egyptian excavated at Nuwayrat (Nuerat, نويرات). Radiocarbon dated to 2855–2570 cal. bce, he lived a few centuries after Egyptian unification, bridging the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods. The body was interred in a ceramic pot within a rock-cut tomb¹, potentially contributing to the DNA preservation. Most of his genome is best represented by North African Neolithic ancestry, among available sources at present. Yet approximately 20% of his genetic ancestry can be traced to genomes representing the eastern Fertile Crescent, including Mesopotamia and surrounding regions. This genetic affinity is similar to the ancestry appearing in Anatolia and the Levant during the Neolithic and Bronze Age^2–5. Although more genomes are needed to fully understand the genomic diversity of early Egyptians, our results indicate that contacts between Egypt and the eastern Fertile Crescent were not limited to objects and imagery (such as domesticated animals and plants, as well as writing systems)^6–9 but also encompassed human migration.

Sheep and their wool were paramount to Viking Age economies. The importance of wool cannot be underestimated, especially as the woollen sail was implemented on ships in general during this period. This paper investigates sheep management and landscape use in Viking Age Löddeköpinge in Scania, southern Sweden, through a multiproxy approach, integrating multi‐isotope methods with zooarchaeological analysis. Using the marketplace at Löddeköpinge as a case study, 18 sheep mandibles were analyzed through zooarchaeological methods and isotope analyses of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ³⁴S, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. The results show that the sheep represent a composite deadflock, meaning they probably derive from different liveflocks. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values demonstrate likely origins north and east of Löddeköpinge. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values indicate a terrestrial diet with variation in δ¹⁵N, meaning that some may have grazed on manured fields. The δ¹⁵N, in conjunction with δ³⁴S, values show a possible limnic influence, implying grazing on pastures close to freshwater systems; however, this requires further investigation. The results illuminate the marketplace function of Löddeköpinge, as sheep bred north and east of the site were transported and exchanged there. This shows the degree and extent of control of the re‐distributional system held by the local elite. This control may be instigated by the increased textile production, especially concerning sailcloth, at the site. If so, sheep management may have been specialized towards the production of optimal wool for sailcloth, besides other essential cloth.

Serpentinites are an important sink for both inorganic and organic carbon, and their behavior during subduction is thought to play a fundamental role in the global cycling of carbon. Here we show that fluid-derived veins are preserved within the Zermatt-Saas ultra-high pressure serpentinites providing key evidence for carbonate mobility during serpentinite devolatilisation. We show through the O, C, and Sr isotope analyses of vein minerals and the host serpentinites that about 90% of the meta-serpentinite inorganic carbon is remobilized during slab devolatilisation. In contrast, graphite-like carbonaceous compounds remain trapped within the host rock as inclusions within metamorphic olivine while the bulk elemental and isotope composition of organic carbon remains relatively unchanged during the subduction process. This shows a decoupling behavior of carbon during serpentinite dehydration in subduction zones. This process will therefore facilitate the transfer of inorganic carbon to the mantle wedge and the preferential slab sequestration of organic carbon en route to the deep mantle.

Arc lavas display elevated Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios relative to MORB. One mechanism to explain this is the mobilization and transfer of oxidized or oxidizing components from the subducting slab to the mantle wedge. Here we use iron and zinc isotopes, which are fractionated upon complexation by sulfide, chloride, and carbonate ligands, to remark on the chemistry and oxidation state of fluids released during prograde metamorphism of subducted oceanic crust. We present data for metagabbros and metabasalts from the Chenaillet massif, Queyras complex, and the Zermatt‐Saas ophiolite (Western European Alps), which have been metamorphosed at typical subduction zone P‐T conditions and preserve their prograde metamorphic history. There is no systematic, detectable fractionation of either Fe or Zn isotopes across metamorphic facies, rather the isotope composition of the eclogites overlaps with published data for MORB. The lack of resolvable Fe isotope fractionation with increasing prograde metamorphism likely reflects the mass balance of the system, and in this scenario Fe mobility is not traceable with Fe isotopes. Given that Zn isotopes are fractionated by S‐bearing and C‐bearing fluids, this suggests that relatively small amounts of Zn are mobilized from the mafic lithologies in within these types of dehydration fluids. Conversely, metagabbros from the Queyras that are in proximity to metasediments display a significant Fe isotope fractionation. The covariation of δ⁵⁶Fe of these samples with selected fluid mobile elements suggests the infiltration of sediment derived fluids with an isotopically light signature during subduction.

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