by Taylor Schwertley

Created on: November 15, 2009

The origin of the Egyptian race is an enigma that has puzzled anthropologists since it first began to be investigated. Who built the pyramids? Who was the Sphinx modeled after? Who were the first rulers of this extremely influential civilization? The issue is divided into three sides: those who believe that ancient Egyptians were of African (more specifically, Nubian) descent, those who claim that they were either Caucasian or Mediterranean, and those who assert that there was never a pure race in Egypt. All viewpoints hold valid arguments and there is a substantial amount of evidence backing each one up. Due to the deterioration/lack of ancient artifacts and human remains, it is difficult to say with any great deal of certainty that any one of these positions is the correct one. The mystery of the situation is largely what makes it such an intriguing one, and although the general public does not commonly know about the controversy, it is one that anthropologists from all over the world are struggling to piece together.

At face value it would probably make most sense to qualify Egyptians as part of the African race. After all, Egypt itself is a part of the African continent, so shouldn't the discussion end there? Unfortunately, the issue isn't a simple matter of geographical location but rather a discussion involving the transnational migration of individuals who died thousands of years ago. Egyptian dynasties rose and fell in this time, the borders of countries were established and dissolved, and people as a whole evolved intellectually as well as morally.

This issue is one that has been investigated for decades, as interest was first sparked in the nineteenth century after archaeological finds in Africa began to grab the attention of anthropologists. As with any scientific or ethnographic study, techniques in the evaluation of evidence have evolved over time. Research conducted in the late 1800's and early 1900's is questionable, but many of the core concepts established by these early anatomists and anthropologists hold true even in the modern age of science. Although there is still no irrefutable answer to the question, Who founded ancient Egypt?, there is a significant amount of evidence pointing towards each of the various possible answers. It is only when the data is viewed on a chronological scale that it can be correctly interpreted.

One aspect of the argument that is essential in understanding the effect of time on the controversy is the terminology

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