Sophisticated computational methods were developed to reassemble these fragments into coherent sequences, to identify and correct for the chemical damage patterns that characterized ancient DNA, and to distinguish genuine ancient sequences from modern contamination.

By the early 2010s, the combination of improved laboratory protocols — including stringent contamination controls, specialized ancient DNA cleanrooms, and new extraction methods — and the computational power of next-generation sequencing had made it possible to sequence complete or near-complete ancient genomes from samples tens of thousands of years old.

The first complete Neanderthal genome was published in 2010.

Ancient genomes from early modern humans in Europe, Asia, and Africa followed.

The Anzick child’s bones, which had been held for decades after the initial discovery, were now accessible to methods that could answer questions that no prior technology could have addressed.