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A review by andrewfontenelle
Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt by Robert Bauval, Thomas Brophy
5.0
Some years ago I watched an episode of the Africa series by Basil Davidson. This particular episode showed rock paintings of people living in the Sahara region at a time when it was much wetter and greener than it is today. The people depicted in the drawings, wore dress very reminiscent of that worn by the people of ancient Egypt. The 'art' suggested that we were looking at the lives of a very sophisticated people. As the climate changed and the Sahara dried up they migrated to other parts of Africa including the Nile Valley.
In the book “Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt” the authors, Robert Bauval and Thomas Brophy, present evidence that Pharaonic Egypt was established by communities coming in from the Sahara as the climate changed. Focusing on discoveries found at sites in the Egyptian Sahara, they show that these ancient people (domesticated cattle and) had a sophisticated knowledge of Astronomy which emerges later in the Nile Valley civilization. The authors also describe their own visits to and surveys of the archaeological sites.
I enjoyed reading the book and was very surprised at the amount of related information that could be found on the subject. Another interesting topic covered in the book were the various explorations into the Egyptian Sahara during the 19th and 20th Century and the discoveries which were made. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in the origins of ancient Egypt and the history of Africa.
In the book “Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt” the authors, Robert Bauval and Thomas Brophy, present evidence that Pharaonic Egypt was established by communities coming in from the Sahara as the climate changed. Focusing on discoveries found at sites in the Egyptian Sahara, they show that these ancient people (domesticated cattle and) had a sophisticated knowledge of Astronomy which emerges later in the Nile Valley civilization. The authors also describe their own visits to and surveys of the archaeological sites.
I enjoyed reading the book and was very surprised at the amount of related information that could be found on the subject. Another interesting topic covered in the book were the various explorations into the Egyptian Sahara during the 19th and 20th Century and the discoveries which were made. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in the origins of ancient Egypt and the history of Africa.