Ancient Egypt and Africa: Some Thoughts and Critical Data SOY Keita uses physical anthropology, historical linguistics, archaeology, genetics, and history to show that early Egyptians were indeed Africans, and just as African as sub-Saharan populations. However, since race is not a scientifically valid concept, he avoids labeling them as black but does admit they were dark-skinned and tropical Africans, which mean their limb proportions, skin color, and phenotypes likely resembled those of other tropical Africans. Thus, early predynastic populations as well as dynastic period peoples of Upper Egypt (as well as Nubia and Lower Egypt to a certain extent) were dark-skinned peoples with Negroid as well as less stereotypically Negroid facial features (like modern Nubians, Ethiopians, Beja, Somalis, Fulani, Yoruba, and many other African populations in Sub-Sahara. He quotes archaeological data proving similarities and probable origin of aspects of predynastic and dynastic material culture from the Sahara and Sudan, especially the pottery of the Badarian (one of the earlier predynastic cultures, centered in Upper Egypt, followed by Naqada I, Naqada II, and Naqada III, eventually leading to the rise of dynastic, unified Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 BCE) which is remarkably similar to earlier and concurrent styles in the Sudan and pre-arid Sahara. Moreover, he presents historical linguistic data which shows ancient Egyptian as a member of the Afro-Asiatic language family, which most linguists concur originated in Eastern or northeastern Africa, indicating the African continental origins of ancient Egyptian populations (other members of this large language family include Berber languages spoken in northern and western Africa, Chadic spoken in northern Nigeria, Niger, and around Lake Chad, Cushitic, spoken in eastern and northeastern Africa, Semitic languages, spoken in the Horn of Africa, Arabian peninsula, and Levant). ryfigueroa.blogspot.fr/2012/08/ancient-egypt-and-africa-some-thoughts.html Photo of Meroe Queen (early 1st millenium CE) and Kemet
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 10:05:20 +0000
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