ANCIENT EGYPT’S LOST LEGACY? THE BUDUMA CULTURE OF LAKE CHAD --- by Guy Immega [W]hile working as an aerospace engineer in Vancouver, I noticed a travel poster from Egypt in my supervisor’s office. It showed an ancient Egyptian painting of a man playing an arched harp, identical to the Biram harp of the Buduma people. I wondered if the Buduma were culturally connected to ancient Egypt. Now, twenty-five years after seeing the poster, and forty-five years after my stay in Africa, I’m able to connect the clues. In addition to papyrus boats and the arched harp, the Buduma have Kuri cattle (a unique, water-adapted breed) and speak Yedina, a Chadic language related to Ancient Egyptian. Five thousand years ago, at the start of the Early Dynastic Period, the Sahel and Sahara were green, with abundant game and forage (5, 10). Lake Mega-Chad had an area up to 10 times larger than Lake Chad in the 1960s. The lake had gigantic Nile perch, crocodiles, hippos, and papyrus reeds. Lake Chad is 1800 kilometers to the west of the Egypt (15), less than two months by donkey caravan from the similar environment of the Nile River. The Abu Ballas Trail across the Sahara (12, 17) connects these two regions. For three thousand years, ancient Egypt was the dominant super-power in North Africa. Its language and culture spread to other regions south of the Sahara. Ancient Egyptian traders may have settled at Lake Chad and founded the fiercely independent Sao people – reputed to be giants. They brought with them papyrus boatbuilding, fishing, Egyptian cattle, musical instruments and Afroasiatic language roots. friendsofniger.org/pdf/Buduma_Master_V4.pdf
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:23:48 +0000
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