The discovery was made as part of a much larger study aimed at tracing the movements of ancient humans across North and South American landmasses thousands of years ago.
DNA sequencing of the 10,700-years old mummified remains that were discovered about 80 years ago in Nevada and are currently considered to be the world’s oldest natural mummy revealed that they belong to a Native American, CNET reports citing an article published in Science magazine.
According to the media outlet, the mummy was first discovered in 1940 in a dry cave, "wrapped in a blanket and matting made of reeds".The remains turned out to be remarkably well-preserved, apparently due to the desert’s arid climate, with the head of the deceased completely intact.
The initial genetic analysis of the bones was conducted in 2016, and the mummy was afterwards handed over to the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and reburied.
This discovery was made as part of a larger research conducted by an international team of scientists who study the dispersal of humans throughout North and South America thousands of years ago.
