Sometimes when individuals comment of African history, not only do they misunderstand the past, they do so with over-confidence.The claim there were never anyone black in Egypt in the past is an example of a historical error.Let’s examine the evidence for a second. The earliest evidence of human presence in Egypt dates back to around 700,000 years ago, based on Acheulean hand axes found at the site of Arkin 8 near Wadi Halfa. By approximately 400,000 years ago, Middle Pleistocene hominins were inhabiting the Nile Valley, as indicated by discoveries at Taramsa Hill, where stone tools suggest persistent occupation. Around 200,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) emerged in the region, with sites like Nazlet Khater providing skeletal remains and tools that reflect an evolving adaptation to the environment. Did you know that between 200,000 and 400,000 years ago, there were no white, Caucasian or light skinned people on Earth then?Fast forward to Europe Gravettian period (40,000 - 25,000 years ago)! Gravettian human remains, dating between 33,000 and 21,000 years ago, are found across Europe, from western France and Iberia to Central Europe and as far east as Russia. Major sites include Dolní Věstonice in the Czech Republic, Sungir in Russia, and Předmostí in Moravia, reflecting a vast cultural network. Genetic studies of Gravettian individuals, such as those from Goyet (Belgium) and Kostenki (Russia), indicate they carried dark skin and dark eyes, lacking the genetic variants for depigmented skin that later became common in Europe. These findings debunk outdated assumptions linking early Europeans with so-called “white” traits, revealing that light skin evolved much later, likely due to dietary shifts and reduced UV exposure after the Last Glacial Maximum. The Gravettians, therefore, represent a crucial stage in European prehistory, not as “proto-white” populations but as resilient hunter-gatherers adapted to Ice Age environments.So far, we have established that during 21,000 to 400,000 years ago, when humans inhabited Egypt, there were No modern white skin tones among them; there was also no white skin tone on Earth, among all humans. The scientific evidence does NOT help even until 3100 BCE, when the unification of Egypt happened. Cheddar Man, who lived in Britain 10,000 years ago, had blue eyes and dark skin. His genetic makeup shows that depigmented (light) skin had not yet emerged among the populations of Northern Europe. Similarly, La Braña 1, a 7,000-year-old skeleton from Spain, exhibited dark skin and blue eyes, showing that pigmentation changes in Europe were gradual and context-specific. The Gravettian humans, ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 years ago, had consistently dark skin tones across Europe, underscoring that light skin was not a defining European trait in early history.To the east, the Kostenki fossils in Russia (32,000–36,000 years ago) reveal an mtDNA haplogroup (U2) and Y-DNA haplogroup (C1) associated with populations that, based on genetic reconstructions, likely retained dark skin. These findings dismantle the notion of a universally pale Europe and point to significant diversity in early Eurasian populations.Even the famous Ötzi the Iceman, who lived between 3350 and 3105 BCE on the modern Austria-Italy border, had dark skin, as revealed by the sequencing of his genome. Though he lived contemporaneously with Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period, Ötzi retained pigmentation that evolved to suit the high-altitude UV exposure of the Alps. If light skin had yet to dominate Europe by this time, it’s improbable that Egyptians in sunnier, equatorial climates bore such traits en masse.Clearly, the fanciful notion that ancient Egypt was a genetic anomaly in Africa, populated by light-skinned “non-Africans” who spoke an African language, wore the Shendyt kilt, and worshipped African deities is as plausible as a grown adult expecting Santa to deliver gifts to Hausa adults at Christmas.Furthermore, the evidence from Europe demonstrates that having haplogroups now associated with whiteness today, doesn’t mean populations that lived thousands of years ago with European haplogroups, anywhere, were “white”. We know—beyond any speculation or doubt—it doesn’t.Next, let’s examine scientific research of skin pigmentation on ancient Egyptians specimens. Anna-Maria Mekota, a German scientist who, in 2005, analyzed melanin content in 273 royal mummies from the 18th to 22nd dynasties using rehydration techniques. She stated unequivocally, “The basal epithelial cells were packed with melanin as expected for specimens of Negroid origin.” That single statement obliterates the falsehood that the indigenous Egyptians were a pale-skinned population.What about how the ancient Egyptians depicted themselves?Ancient Egyptians depicted themselves in 45–50 different skin tones, a fact often ignored by those cherry-picking lighter figures to misrepresent Egypt’s identity. The Golden Throne of Tutankhamun shows both the Pharaoh and his wife in the same deep brown hue, demonstrating that dark-skinned Egyptians were central to royal identity. Attempts to classify all dark-skinned figures as “Nubians” distort reality—Egyptian artists consistently distinguished between foreigners and Egyptians based on dress, posture, and context rather than rigid racial categories. Genetic evidence further dismantles misconceptions: Prince Amenherkhepshef, son of Rameses III, was buried in QV55 with royal titles like “king’s scribe.” His DNA, along with that of his father, revealed Y-DNA haplogroup E1b1a, a lineage widespread in Africa. Artwork in his tomb depicts him using brown skin tones, like a black African. This refutes claims that Egyptian elites were non-African and debunks the myth that Egypt was racially separate from its southern neighbors. The assumption that light pigmentation in Egyptian art indicates “whiteness” also collapses when viewed in the broader context of African artistic traditions, such as Dahomey and Ethiopian artworks, where symbolic colors like yellow and pink were used. Selective misinterpretations of art, genetic evidence, and mistranslations have long distorted Egypt’s African identity, but the weight of evidence proves otherwise.The claim that there were no Black people in ancient Egypt crumbles under the weight of overwhelming evidence. Egyptians depicted themselves in deep brown hues, their mummies contain melanin-rich skin cells, and genetic analysis confirms African ancestry in rulers like Rameses III. If Ötzi the Iceman, living in Europe after Egypt’s founding, still had dark skin, why would Egyptians in a sun-drenched African civilization be pale? This myth isn’t history—it’s denial wrapped in Eurocentric fantasy.Picture: King Senusret#Africa #World