| (excerpt
taken from the unabridged UNESCO
General History of Africa II, Ancient Civilizations of Africa.)
(4) On
the validity of the iconographic inquiry.
In this field also there were two
opposing theories. Professor Diop considered that, as the
Egyptians were black, their painted iconography, which, incidentally,
he had not cited in support of his argument, could represent only
black people. Professor
Vercoutter, who was supported by Professor Ghallab and Leclant,
considered that Egyptian iconography from the eighteenth dynasty
onwards, showed characteristic representations of black people who
had not previously been depicted; these representations
meant, therefore, that at least from that dynasty onwards, the Egyptians
had been in contact with peoples who were considered ethnically
distinct.
Professor Diop remarked that, in the
course of his introductory statement, he had submitted a series
of representations drawn exclusively from sculpture. He regarded
all these as representing black people or as showing features characteristic
of black societies. He asked for specific criticisms
of these records and invited participants to produce
comparable representations of whites in dignified or commanding
postures dating from early Pharaonic times. Various
participants replied that there had never been any question of discovering
in Egypt representations comparable to those of Greek statuary,
for example Professor Vercoutter said that numerous representations
could be produced in which human beings were painted red rather
than black, but that Professor Diop would refuse to recognize those
as non-black. Professor
El Nadury did not deny that there were black elements in the population
of Egypt during the Old Kingdom but said that it seemed hardly likely
that the entire population was black.
Professor Vercoutter stated that photographic
reproductions of the Pharaoh Narmer was considerably enlarged, that
the features were probably distorted, and that the to regard the
person represented as black involved a subjective assessment. This
was also the opinion of Professor
Säve-Söderbergh, who said that the photograph could just
as well be interpreted as a picture of a Laplander.
| "Limestone
head of man, flat back, broken off at chin level.
Thought by Petrie to be head of King Narmer."
(Desciption from Petrie Museum Website) |
|
Click
link for high resolution image.
Figures
1, 2 Photos provided by Petrie Museum
Figure
3, Black and white Narmer head
illuminated by single light source revealing nuances in
form. |
|
Professor
Vercoutter did not dispute that there might have been black elements
in Egypt throughout history, and he himself adduced
a number of further examples of their counts: they had been drawn
indiscriminately from the whole Pharaonic period, without clear
references; and the selection had been made to support a theory.
On this score, Professor Diop replied that he had made a point of
submitting only carved objects or scenes in order to avoid the likelihood
of discussion on the significance of colours, but that he had been
obliged to use the material available to him at Dakar. The list
was comprehensive; it extended from the Old Kingdom to the of the
Pharaonic period. The evidence did, indeed, support a theory and
any contrary theory must of necessity be supported by iconographic
representations of 'non-black' Egyptians.
During the lengthy discussion on colours,
Professor Vercoutter, Sauneron, and Säve-Söderbergh, on
the other hand, and Professor Diop on the other, were again in disagreement.
During the discussion, nothing was conceded by either side. The
only apparent point of agreement was that the matter warranted further
study, in particular with the help of specialized laboratories.
Professor
Vercoutter conceded that there were representations of black people
in Egyptian sculpture during the Old Kingdom, and he supporting
examples. But he did not consider that they were
representative of the Egyptian population as a whole, which was,
in any case, also represented by contemporary sculptures showing
quite different features.
Professor Vercoutter wondered why
the Egyptians, if they did regard themselves as black, rarely, if
ever, used carbon black in their representations of themselves but
used a red colour instead. Professor Diop considered that the red
colour was indicative of the black Egyptian race and that the yellow
colouring of the womenfolk illustrated the fact, to which attention
had been drawn by American anthropologists, that women,
in a number of racial groups studied, were as a rule, of a paler
hue than the men.
(MOHKTAR,G.
General History of Africa II, pg 74-75)
One fact remains, however, and that is the
continued existence in Egypt, as in Nubia, of a certain physical
type which it would be vain to call a race, since it varies slightly
according to whether we are concerned with Lower or Upper Egypt.
Darker in the south than in the north, it is in general darker
than in the rest of the Mediterranean basin, including North Africa.
The hair is black and curly and the face, rather round and hairless,
is in the Old Kingdom sometimes adorned with a moustache. Relatively
slim as a rule, it is the human type that the frescoes, bas-reliefs
and statues of the Pharaohs have made familiar to us; and we
must not forget that these were portraits, as Egyptian
funerary beliefs demanded, since it was the individual himself,
not an abstract notion, that survived beyond the
tomb.
It would of course be easy, by selecting
certain portraits and not taking account of the total of those
that have come to us, to assign examples that would nullify such
conclusions. In fact, for those with eyes to see, the individuals
that Egyptian art has made familiar to use are variety itself,
with their 'straight profiles, prognathous profiles, sometimes
high cheekbones, as in the case of Sesotris II, fleshy, often
curling lips; sometimes a slightly arched nose (Hemeoumou, Pepi
I, Gamal Abd el Nassar), most often a large straight nose like
Chephren's, and in the south, in particular, flattish noses and
thicker lips' (Jean Yoyotte) ... It
is more than probable that the African strain, black or light,
is preponderant in the ancient Egyptian, but in
the present state of our knowledge it is impossible to say more.
(MOHKTAR,G.
General History of Africa II, pg 14-15)
|
|
| |
AfroEgyptian strain (dark)
Men at Aswan/Thebes
menaswan
156.3 KB
(photo
courtesy of David Haberlah) |
This author is curious whether the lower egyptian type is an
ethnic hybrid or a represantation of an autochthonous phenotype
modified by the Mediterranean climate of the Delta? Would these
people be considered "Blacks" in
a modern race sensitive climate such as America?
The Cairo Symposium on the Peopling of Ancient Egypt took place
in 1981, research in Egypt has continued, new information has
been discovered, old ideas have been discarded. Remarkably,
the general thrust of Professor Diop's African centered paradigm
has not been refuted, nor has his work been publicized or advanced
significantly, in the last 20 years.
The following photo survey will represent some of the iconography
selected by the late Professor Diop, and also present new finds.
The iconography will consist of 2D and 3D images, sorted by dynasty
when possible location will be cited. Diop was convinced that
the aristocratic egyptian population was composed of blacks
or individuals who represented elements of black society.
This study will highlight iconography that continues with that
theme. If the reader is not convinced of the majority African
character of the Egyptian culture and population, the following
survey will atleast illustrate those "negroes" who contributed
to Egyptian and subsequent world culture.
When necessary contemporary photographs will be juxtaposed along
side archeological artifacts.
Egyptian Iconography.
Click
link to view iconographic survey. |
|
Sources:
| MOHKTAR,G.
(ed.) |
General
History of Africa II, Ancient Civilizations of Africa.
Unabridged University of California Press, Berkeley,
1981. |
|
