Researchers extract ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, revealing a time capsule of plant life

For the first time, a group of researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick. Currently housed at the National Museum of Denmark, the clay brick originates from the palace of Neo-Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, in the ancient city of Kalhu. Known today as the North-West palace in Nimrud (modern-day northern Iraq), its construction began around 879 BCE.