Archaeology breakthrough: Stone-age ‘chewing gum’ reveals DNA of 5,7000-year-old woman

“Our ancestors lived in a different environment and had a different lifestyle and diet, and it is therefore interesting to find out how this is reflected in their microbiome.”

He added: “It can help us understand how pathogens have evolved and spread over time, and what makes them particularly virulent in a given environment.

“At the same time, it may help predict how a pathogen will behave in the future, and how it might be contained or eradicated.”

Scientists constructed an image of the woman based on the DNA extracted from the specimen.

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