The region that was referred to as “Nubia” no doubt consisted of heterogeneous populations in ancient times, as is still the case in that region. The “Nubians” varied in physical looks from region to region. For instance, around the time of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, when the Egyptian control extended to the 3rd cataract, “Nubians” were depicted with varying shades of dark skin, distinctive dress, and facial features like that of Kemetians. In the New Kingdom, when Kemetian rule stretched further beyond the 4th cataract, the portrayal of “Nubian” changed accordingly, i.e., reflecting the regional variations of people encountered. At this point, one begins to see people with distinctive facial features from that of Kemetians. Still further south, into the region of Punt, Kemetian art depicts again people with the same features as Kemetians, while others had more of the central African type of look. Examples:
Tomb of the chancellor. Nakhti at Assiout (12th Dynasty)
Stela of the Nubian soldier Nenu Egypt (Jeblein), First Intermediate Period, 2250-2035 B.C.
Above: (Top pic.)The Nubian troops from the 11th dynasty, and their Kemetian (bottom pic.) counterparts of the Egyptian army; distinguished only by skin tone, weapons and clothing.
Here is the close up of the Nubian troops! (may have to expand the image, depending on your browser. Also notice the looks unique to each individual, and their varying heights, with some taller than others; the artist was obviously trying to capture the expressions unique to each individual. The same has been applied to the Kemetian troops above)
Maiherpri, a Nubian prince educated at court with the royal princes, one of which became Amenhotep II. Subsequently Maiherpri held office under that king. Book of the Dead of Maiherpri; Papyrus photos are from the Official Catalogue: The Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Continued...
Posted by Supercar (Member # 6477) on :
...continued
As Kemetian control extended beyond the 4th cataract, their art corresponded to the different people they came across.
Courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
Courtesy of the Museo Civico Archeologico
Above: Upper Nubian wrestlers and spectators. Notice distinctive facial features of these Nubians, compared to those of Nubians (mainly Lower Nubia) prior to extension of Egyptian control beyond the 4th cataract.
“The suggestion that the ancient Nubian wrestlers came from regions to the south of the fourth cataract seems to be confirmed by anthropological evidence.(25) Archaeologists examined a burial site at Gebel Moya and other hills in the Gezira of Sudan where remains date back to earlier than the twenty-fifth dynasty in Egypt. According to one of the archaeologists, “the cemeteries of this site have yielded the remains of a tall coarsely built Negro or Negroid race with extraordinarily massive skulls and jaws."(26) There is a strong possibility that the southern Nubians portrayed in the wrestling scenes came from this part of the Sudan. Anthropologists further suggest that the Negro type of the Gezira hills immigrated to the Nuba hills of southern Kordofan. The image of the tall, dark and extremely muscular Nubian is strikingly reminiscent of the Nuba of southern Kordofan in the Sudan. These people have remained sheltered in the remote hill country from outside influences and are surrounded by people that are physically and linguistically different from them.(27) Indeed, of the various people in the Sudan, none would seem better fit to be the descendants of the ancient Nubian wrestlers than those of the Nuba hill tribes of southern Kordofan.” - Scott T. Carroll, Gordon College.
"The greatest number of images of Nubians and other more southerly Africans in Egyptian art date from the New Kingdom (ca. 1550-1080 BC), when the Egyptians established direct rule over Nubia as far up the Nile as the Fourth Cataract and even beyond. In these images we can see a tendancy on the part of the Egyptians to categorize the southerners for propaganda purposes. First there were the "generic Nubians;" second, there were the "good Nubians," and third, there were the "bad Nubians." The first appear as exotic props in scenes showing the annual delivery of tribute to Egypt from the south. These people are shown carrying or standing among African products such as bags or ring ingots of gold, baskets of ostrich eggs and feathers, various exotic woods, elephant tusks and animal skins. They might also lead or carry wild animals, such as cheetahs, giraffes, and monkeys. Some of these people are shown with brown skin; others have black skin - clearly an attempt by the Egyptian artists to distinguish between different peoples of the south.
Some wear long, Egyptian-style linen garments, suggesting "Egyptianized" Nubians living within the empire. Apart from their dark skin, these individuals are proclaimed as Nubians by their large ring earrings and their unique hairdos, which look like inverted bowls. The hair is further distinguished by its yellow or red color, which reveals that it has been stained by a red or yellow ochre fat compound. This is a practice still popular, for example, among the Maasai of northern Kenya. Another distinctive detail of style that identifies the Nubians well into later Kushite history is their preference for wearing single large, long feathers in their hair. Nubians beyond the frontier, however, are shown in their native dress: men wear short kilts of animal skins, and the women wear long colorful skirts with their torsos remaining bare." - nubianet
Other interesting "Nubian" depictions
Nubian with oryx, monkey, and leopard skins 8th-7th century B.C.; Neo-Assyrian period; Phoenician style Excavated at Fort Shalmaneser, Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), Mesopotamia Ivory; Height 5.3 inches. Posted by rasol (Member # 4592) on :
We can specifically trace some the ancient "Nubians" to different African groups today, like the Shilluk and the Beja.
The Beja speak an Afrasan language that some say is the language mose closely related to Ancient Egyptian [notwithstanding Egyptianised Arabic, or liturgical Coptic], which are in turn most closely related to native East African languages such as Somali and also related to West African languages such as Hausa and Berber languages.
The Shilluk speak a Nilo-Saharan language which relates them to the peoples of ancient Kush as well modern Nubian and is spoken by peoples such as the Masai of Kenya and the Mangbetu of Congo.
Of course all of the above languages are found only in Africa.
It seems astounding now but there was a time when early ws.t Eurocentric linguists actually tried to classify all African languages as "Bantu" - as always the tactic is to annihilate by cordoning-off or pigeon-holing, as we've also seen with physical anthropology.
From there we've come to a point where even proto-semitic is conceded by some current linguists to have likely originated either in Ethiopia or Egypt. This is not as unreasonable as it may first seem to some, as Ethiopia has more semitic languages than any other nation on earth.
Anyway, you have shown us that the peoples called Nubians are both diverse and also Native Africans, and that includes language and apearance.
Posted by kenndo (Member # 4846) on :
one correction for the first post,lower nubia stops at the third cataract,upper nubia to the 5th and southern nubia from the 5th and beyond.
Posted by Supercar (Member # 6477) on :
quote:rasol:
We can specifically trace some the ancient "Nubians" to different African groups today, like the Shilluk and the Beja. The Beja speak an Afrasan language that some say is the language mose closely related to Ancient Egyptian [notwithstanding Egyptianised Arabic, or liturgical Coptic], which are in turn most closely related to native East African languages such as Somali and also related to West African languages such as Hausa and Berber languages.
The Shilluk speak a Nilo-Saharan language which relates them to the peoples of ancient Kush as well modern Nubian and is spoken by peoples such as the Masai of Kenya and the Mangbetu of Congo.
Of course all of the above languages are found only in Africa.
It seems astounding now but there was a time when early ws.t Eurocentric linguists actually tried to classify all African languages as "Bantu" - as always the tactic is to annihilate by cordoning-off or pigeon-holing, as we've also seen with physical anthropology.
From there we've come to a point where even proto-semitic is conceded by some current linguists to have likely originated either in Ethiopia or Egypt. This is not as unreasonable as it may first seem to some, as Ethiopia has more semitic languages than any other nation on earth.
Anyway, you have shown us that the peoples called Nubians are both diverse and also Native Africans, and that includes language and apearance.
Appropriately put! We've already seen an example of the futility of placing Bantu speaking groups in areas, Northeast and Horn of Africa in particular, where such language is non-existent.
quote:kenndo:
one correction for the first post,lower nubia stops at the third cataract,upper nubia to the 5th and southern nubia from the 5th and beyond.
Got to be careful. It was stated "beyond" the 4th cataract.
Posted by kenndo (Member # 4846) on :
yes i know the egyptian empire conqured up to the forth cataract, but as you know lower nubia ends at the 3rd and beyond that is upper and southern nubia,and as you know scholars do mention today the distinctiveness of the nubians too started at the third cataract.
upper and southern nubians in napatan kush had thier art forms almost the same as egyptian but there was a diffence and the art forms change later on. alot of it was idealized too in nubia but on average less so than egypt's.
In the early kush period of the second kingdom of kush there were art forms that were realistic and to a certain extent idealized but you could tell all of it was nubian art.nubian art later on tend to be more realistic.
let's not forget that new nubian groups came in from the southwest and form the the napatan and later nubian kingdoms and they settled as well in lower nubia.
lower nubia populations tend to mostly disappear or disappear and new nubians would come in from the south .
[This message has been edited by kenndo (edited 27 March 2005).]
