Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt as a general historical term broadly refers to the civilization of the Lower Nile Valley, between the First Cataract and the mouths of the Nile Delta, from circa 3200 BC until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. As a civilization based on irrigation, it is the quintessential example of a hydraulic empire.

Ancient Egyptian peoples

Neolithic Egypt was probably inhabited by black African (Nilotic) peoples (as demonstrated by Saharan petroglyphs throughout the region). Following the desiccation of the Sahara, most black Africans migrated south into East and West Africa. The Aterian culture that developed here was one of the most advanced Paleolithic societies. In the Mesolithic the Capsian culture dominated the region with Neolithic farmers becoming predominant by 6000 BC (see Predynastic Egypt). The ancient Egyptians spoke an Afro-Asiatic language, related to Chadic, Berber and Semitic languages, and recorded their origin as the Land of Punt (see Early Dynastic Period of Egypt).

Related Topics:
Neolithic - Black - Nilotic - Sahara - Petroglyph - Africa - East - West Africa - Aterian - Paleolithic - Mesolithic - Capsian culture - 6000 BC - Predynastic Egypt - Afro-Asiatic language - Chadic - Berber - Semitic - Land of Punt - Early Dynastic Period of Egypt

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Herodotus once wrote, "the Colchians are Egyptians ... on the fact that they are black-skinned and have wooly hair" (Histories Book 2:104), and Champollion the Younger (who deciphered the Rossetta stone) in Expressions et Termes Particuliers (Expression of Particular Terms) claimed that Kmt never actually referred to the soil but to a negroid population in the sense of "Black Nation". A recent genetic study links the maternal lineage of a traditional population from Upper Egypt to Eastern Africa http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14748828. A separate study further narrows the genetic lineage to Northeast Africa (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12495079; reveals also that modern day Egyptians "reflect a mixture of European, Middle Eastern, and African").

Related Topics:
Genetic - Eastern Africa - Northeast Africa - Europe - Middle East - Africa

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The oldest known Egyptian artifact depicting facial features is that of a Gerzean girl, dating to the 4th millennium BC (see picture at http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/predynastic.htm). Characteristics include wide nose and lips and long hair, all found in Northeast Africa. Racial classification of ancient Egypt has come to play a role in the Afrocentrism debate in the USA (see Egypt and Black Identity for a discussion).

Related Topics:
Artifact - Gerzean - 4th millennium BC - Northeast Africa - Afrocentrism - USA - Egypt and Black Identity

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Although analyzing the hair of ancient Egyptian mummies from the Late Middle Kingdom has revealed evidence of a stable diet http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10091248&itool=iconabstr, mummies from circa 3200 BC show signs of severe anemia and hemolitic disorders http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11148985&itool=iconabstr. Traces of cocaine, hashish and nicotine have also been found in the skin and hair of Egyptian mummies http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7702279&itool=iconabstr. Interestingly, as a footnote, the coca plant is indigenous to the South American Andes and could not have survived naturally in the arid Sahara (see Coca).

Related Topics:
Mummies - Middle Kingdom - 3200 BC - Anemia - Hemolitic disorders - Cocaine - Hashish - Nicotine - Egypt - Coca - South America - Andes - Sahara

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Animals were valued in the Egyptian culture, including dogs and cats, as evidenced by mummified remains.

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