Post by egyptianplanet on May 23, 2010 15:29:56 GMT -5
I just wanted to make a note of the term "race." Many novices on here will use terminology such as Black/White, Caucasian/Negro. However for the sake of academic debate, do not be surprised if some refuse to converse with such terminology. The idea of "Black/White/Negro/Caucasian/Brown/Yellow/Asian" is nothing more than made up constructions based on Eurocentric vocabulary.
The idea of "race" never existed until the age of European imperialism. They felt that everyone from different parts of the world were not connected and that people fell into neat categories. However, we know this is not nor has ever been the case. This concept of "race" was based on the perception that humans did not have a common origin and that they developed independently from one another. Although this is true to an extent, it is not the same way that you think of it now.
Life began in Africa giving rise to the modern man. From there everyone you see in the world traveled out of Africa into various parts of the world. Much of the color variation you see today is due to a mutation or adaptation to the skin color of many. So in fact we are not based or grouped as "races" rather we're all adaptive forms of our original mother and father who arose from Africa so long ago. The reason we know we come from Africa is because every person in this world contains African genetics, however Africans do not contain genetics found in various parts of the world for the most part. This proves that the original humans were African.
The reason why people's skin color changed is due to the cold weather low sunlight of Central Asia where these mutations began to happen. The place in particular this began to happen is called the "Caucasus" hence the term "Caucasian." These people spread to Europe, Iran and other places of Asia like Northern India and China. From there, people began to mutate and adapt to their individual climates. This is why a Northern Indian does not look like a Chinese although they are both Asian or a Greek look like an Englishman although they are both European.
Now in the case of Africans, we all contain the potential traits for adaptations in skin color, bone structure, craniology, etc. The reason why we haven't changed is due to the fact we don't need to change! In order to cause a mutation for adaptation, the environment must change. However, in our case, there was no need for this change so we remained the same.
So many ask the question, "Were these people white or were they black?" The fact is there is no such thing! This is not something that is debated within academic circles anymore and not here. When biologist SOY Keita was asked by a man, "So were the Ancient Egyptians negroes?" Keita became indignant at the very use of the term and refused to answer the question. That's because it's not even a question, it's only used by ethnocentrism to try and place divisions between people resulting in racism which is another contrived nonsensical aura of false superiority.
The fact is we are not based on colors and features. What defines who is an African, an Asian and European is quite simple. The cultures that arise on independent continents are unique and can trace their origin to that place. Egypt arose from the Saharan civilizations. It is African in origin. The people are also African in origin. Are we all Africans? Yes. But Egyptians maintained an African heritage, culture and civilization.
The Mesopotamian and Indus Valley dwellers at the beginning of their civilization likely did not look that different from the Ancient Egyptians. So were they African? No. Fact is their cultures were separate of those of Africa. They maintained a different culture homegrown and unique in the land of Asia. The same for the Greeks, Romans, etc.
I can't tell you how many times I've seen very dark skinned Asians and then have them said to be "African." But they are not African, they are as biologically Asian as they come. At the same time, you see light skinned Africans. Immediately one thinks these people are foreigners to the land of Africa. That is true to an extent, but because they've been in Africa for so long they too become biologically Africans.
I hope this clears things up to some of the novice posters on here.
The idea of "race" never existed until the age of European imperialism. They felt that everyone from different parts of the world were not connected and that people fell into neat categories. However, we know this is not nor has ever been the case. This concept of "race" was based on the perception that humans did not have a common origin and that they developed independently from one another. Although this is true to an extent, it is not the same way that you think of it now.
Life began in Africa giving rise to the modern man. From there everyone you see in the world traveled out of Africa into various parts of the world. Much of the color variation you see today is due to a mutation or adaptation to the skin color of many. So in fact we are not based or grouped as "races" rather we're all adaptive forms of our original mother and father who arose from Africa so long ago. The reason we know we come from Africa is because every person in this world contains African genetics, however Africans do not contain genetics found in various parts of the world for the most part. This proves that the original humans were African.
The reason why people's skin color changed is due to the cold weather low sunlight of Central Asia where these mutations began to happen. The place in particular this began to happen is called the "Caucasus" hence the term "Caucasian." These people spread to Europe, Iran and other places of Asia like Northern India and China. From there, people began to mutate and adapt to their individual climates. This is why a Northern Indian does not look like a Chinese although they are both Asian or a Greek look like an Englishman although they are both European.
Now in the case of Africans, we all contain the potential traits for adaptations in skin color, bone structure, craniology, etc. The reason why we haven't changed is due to the fact we don't need to change! In order to cause a mutation for adaptation, the environment must change. However, in our case, there was no need for this change so we remained the same.
So many ask the question, "Were these people white or were they black?" The fact is there is no such thing! This is not something that is debated within academic circles anymore and not here. When biologist SOY Keita was asked by a man, "So were the Ancient Egyptians negroes?" Keita became indignant at the very use of the term and refused to answer the question. That's because it's not even a question, it's only used by ethnocentrism to try and place divisions between people resulting in racism which is another contrived nonsensical aura of false superiority.
The fact is we are not based on colors and features. What defines who is an African, an Asian and European is quite simple. The cultures that arise on independent continents are unique and can trace their origin to that place. Egypt arose from the Saharan civilizations. It is African in origin. The people are also African in origin. Are we all Africans? Yes. But Egyptians maintained an African heritage, culture and civilization.
The Mesopotamian and Indus Valley dwellers at the beginning of their civilization likely did not look that different from the Ancient Egyptians. So were they African? No. Fact is their cultures were separate of those of Africa. They maintained a different culture homegrown and unique in the land of Asia. The same for the Greeks, Romans, etc.
I can't tell you how many times I've seen very dark skinned Asians and then have them said to be "African." But they are not African, they are as biologically Asian as they come. At the same time, you see light skinned Africans. Immediately one thinks these people are foreigners to the land of Africa. That is true to an extent, but because they've been in Africa for so long they too become biologically Africans.
I hope this clears things up to some of the novice posters on here.