The racial make-up of the Nile Valley Region of Africa and of ancient Egypt in particular, continues to be a topic of controversy. Some have suggested that the ancient Egyptians were Semites. Others have suggested that they were whites. The roots of ancient Egyptian culture have been searched for within Europe and Mesopotamia. The only region left out of the equation thus far has been Africa itself. So exactly who were these peoples who inhabited the ancient Nile Valley?

POPULAR MYTHS AND LESSER KNOWN TRUTHS
ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF ANCIENT EGYPT

The Mediterranean Myth: According to those who endorse and purport this claim, the people of ancient Egypt were not related to Black Africans but rather inhabitants of the Near East. These people, who fit under the category of Caucasian, are the creators and maintainers of Egyptian civilization. These people are known as Mediterraneans, Hamites, Dark-Whites and other confusing names. They are characterized as dark skinned peoples with straight hair, thin lips and elongated noses. Thus these peoples are not "true Africans" characterized by tightly curled hair, thick lips and flat noses.

Somali (left) and Bedja (right) types who may be assigned to the Mediterranean Race
photos courtesy of Journal of African Civilizations

The Truth: In reality the "true African" does not exist as the continent holds a variety of different Black Africoid types who have existed this way without foreign admixture. There are Black Africans with somewhat straight hair, thin lips and elongated noses (a product of dry heat as well as extreme cold). If globally applied many of African descent throughout the Diaspora can be labeled Dark Whites or Eurafricans.

The Distance Myth: Ancient Egypt was located far from sub-Saharan Africa. Divided by the Sahara, interaction between Northern Africa and the Black south was limited at best.

Braided hair wig from ancient Egypt (left). Compare with hair style of Senegalese female on right
photos courtesy of Ancient Egypt and African Origins of Civilization

The Truth: Black Africans were well known in the Nile Valley region in early times. Evidence has shown in fact that North Africa was inhabited by Black African types prior to other types (Caucasian Berber and Semitic). What is more, as Gloria Emeagwali states, The Northern regions of Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon as well as Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and so on fall within the Saharan/Sahelian zone, which is the same latitude with the Nile civilizations of Antiquity. No impassable barrier stood or stands between East and West. Thus it stands to reason that no barrier stood between North and South. Cultural similarities have been found between Egypt and regions as far away as the Great Lakes region. The ancient Egyptians state continually that they originated in the south. According to historian John G. Jackson, The Edfu Text is an important source document on the early history of the Nile Valley. This famous inscription, found in the Temple of Horus at Edfu, gives an account of the origin of Egyptian civilization. According to this record, civilization was brought from the south by a band of invaders under the leadership of King Horus.

The Artistic Myth: The ancient Egyptians were not Black Africans because in their artistic portrayals they always painted themselves reddish-brown rather than black skinned. Furthermore they painted themselves distinctly different than Black Africans.

From left to right: an Egyptian, Indo-European, other Black Africans and a Semite.
Dated 1200BC, from the tomb of Ramses III.
photo courtesy of Civilization or Barbarism, Cheikh Anta Diop

The Truth: The ancient Egyptians used a variety of styles and colors to portray themselves. This included white, green, blue, gold and Black. Art historians such as James Brunson have suggested that this usage was much more symbolic than currently thought. While there are select instances where the Egyptians portray southerners with Black skins and exaggerated features, there are other instances where these Black southerners are portrayed in the same reddish-brown skin as the Egyptians themselves with no major facial differences. And then, as in the picture above, there are times the Egyptians portray themselves in Black skin. As can be seen, the explanation of color usage in ancient Egytpian art is not so clear cut.

The Perception Myth: The ancient Egyptians have always been perceived as "white."

Egypt's earliest known rulers: Narmer and Khasekhem
photo courtesy of Ancient Egyptian Art website http://www.best.com/~tdgilman/egypt/

Truth: Until most recently in history, the ancient Egyptians have been associated with Black Africans by a host of Europeans. According to Herodotus, The Egyptians told me that in their opinion the Colchians were descended from soldiers of Seosteris. I had conjectured as much myself from two pointers, firstly because they have black skins and kinky hair...alone among mankind, the Egyptians and Ethiopians have practiced circumcision since time immemorial. Other contemporaries such as Aristotle, Diodorus, Lucian, Apollodorus and Aeschylus make similar observations. More modern accounts have been given by Count Volney, Champollion the Elder and E.A.Wallis Budge to name a few.

Conclusion: The inhabitants of ancient Egypt in all actuality were not a monlithic group. Though the earliest types look to be of distinct African heritage, later periods do show evidence of more non-Africoid types. A significant portion of these may be "mixed" individuals. Some historicans have suggested that in the north more Western Asian types, many no doubt mixed with Africans, may have dominated while in the south more Africoid types may have held sway. That Egypt's racial makeup changed throughout its 3,000 year history is a fact long conceded by many Black historians. However, beyond the role of servant, Egyptology rarely acknowledges ancient Egypt's African heritage or cultural roots. Given its location it seems erroneous to ignore Africa's role within Egypt. Most especially, African culture was the foundation of ancient Egyptian culture. Black Africans played major roles in Egypt as rulers, gods, soldiers, servants and more from its founding to its demise.

For More on the Nile Valley see the Following:

TA-SETI (NUBIA): LAND OF THE BOW

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