The history of ancient DNA research has provided cautionary examples of the dangers of over-generalizing from small samples.

A single genome that shows an unusual ancestry profile can be either a representative individual or an outlier; only comparison with additional individuals from the same population can distinguish between these possibilities.

This is why the researchers’ emphasis on expanding the dataset is so important.

The NUE001 genome establishes that ancient Egyptian genomics is feasible.

It provides the first data point in what needs to become a much larger dataset.

The future of the field will involve systematic sampling across multiple sites, periods, and social contexts in Egypt — the kind of broad coverage that has been achieved for Bronze Age Europe, for example, where hundreds of ancient genomes now provide a detailed picture of population history across the continent.