posted
(Probably only his embalmer knows for sure...)
There are four factors which would account for the red color of Rameses' hair, none of which would exclude the other factors.
A) The obvious effects of x-radiation upon the mummy
B) The Embalm-ment Process
Sir Gaston Maspero who unwrapped the mummy of Rameses II, one of the first to see the face of the Pharaoh writes:
quote: "on the temples there are a few sparse hairs, but at the poll the hair is quite thick, forming smooth, straight locks about five centimeters in length. White at the time of death, they have been dyed a light yellow by the spices used in the embalm-ment...the moustache and beard are thin...The hairs are white, like those of the head and eyebrows...the skin is of earthy brown, splotched with black...the face of the mummy gives a fair idea of the face of the living king."
Valley of the Kings by John Romer, Castle Books, p184
(A significant observation was also made by Maspero to the effect that the mummy had a 'low brow' or was prognathous, which in ethnological terms indicates a Negroid individual. )
C) The practice of dying gray hair
The Ancient Egyptians used a variety of methods to eliminate Gray hair. Henna dyed the natural black hair an auburn color, while turning the unpigmented gray hairs a bright orange. Hair would sometimes be dyed after death. Rameses II is an example. Examine the photo of the Afar elder... http://www.geocities.com/wally_mo/people.html
D) A natural red head
In her book "Ramesess - Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh" (sic!), Joyce Tyldesley references the French examination of the pharaoh and their conclusion that Rameses II had naturally red hair. This is predicated upon one true factor that would serve to give credence to the scientific evaluation of the mummy's hair:
-- The Seti/Ramessid dynasty was originated by royals from the North, specifically the Delta region. Blacks, especially during this epoch, were heavily mixed with foreign whites and/or Asiatics, and tended to be lighter than those of the valley. So the existence of Blacks with red hair was probably a common occurrence, about as much as it is amongst present day African Americans, for example. It's debatable, however, how socially acceptable this would be to the population, for as Diop points out that when a Kemetian encountered someone with white skin and red hair, they would kill that person. Was it then socially acceptable to be Black with red hair?
[This message has been edited by Wally (edited 11 September 2004).]
posted
Personally, I think Ramsis II was a mulatto, an African with Asian admixture. In that respect, it would be very likely that the original hair would be dark colored. Even if it did have a tinge of red color to it, this phenomena isn't unsual among Africans! But like rasol said, earliest photographs would help to visualize it better. But again, in black & white, who knows how much accurate information one can get, aside from hair looking darker than if it were blonde!
IP: Logged |
posted
Most Egyptian portraits and statues tend to have close cropped black colored hair. Rarely do you ever see the pharoah's hair or even the hair of the commoner unless it's a wig. Most portraits of Rameses II[which by the way is not his real Kemetian name] show him wearing various crowns but never his own hair. The only sculpture we see his hair is of him as a child wearing the sid lock of youth. Otherwise you would have never known his hair color.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by supercar: Well then, you should be able to finding something on that over the internet.
Here are some:
The second one shows Ramses II with black hair, but it could also be a wig. This Egyptian Papyrus painting depicts Offering to Ramses II and Isis.
Thanks. Since it is commonly stated that Rameses II had red hair, and even explained as a particular ethnic trait of the Rameses', per se, and one of which they were supposedly 'proud', I am interested in whether there is any actual basis for it.
Or perhaps, like 'black soil' = kmt it is another European legend, repeated until it is accepted as fact, and then embellished when and where necessary.
posted
Redhaired people are rare but not absent in north Africa. I've seen redhaired Egyptians and a few berbers with redhair...
Posts: 887 | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by neo*geo: Redhaired people are rare but not absent in north Africa. I've seen redhaired Egyptians and a few berbers with redhair...
posted
It's awfully difficut to tell Rameses II hair color from AE portraits. As ausar says, most times he was shown wearing a crown that covered most of his hair, and that that did show was more than likely a wig.Henna, while used to color hair quite frequently, will turn gray hair orange, but gives black or dark brown hair an auburn sheen. The most logical explination for Rameses II blondish-red hair on his mummy is that, being an old man, he probably had white or light gray hair. The ungents and resins used on his mummy would stain the hair to the light colors described. His original color as a younger man? Almost impossible to say, but a dark red is not impossible by any means.
Posts: 174 | From: Long Beach, CA U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Osiris II: It's awfully difficut to tell Rameses II hair color from AE portraits. As ausar says, most times he was shown wearing a crown that covered most of his hair, and that that did show was more than likely a wig.Henna, while used to color hair quite frequently, will turn gray hair orange, but gives black or dark brown hair an auburn sheen. The most logical explination for Rameses II blondish-red hair on his mummy is that, being an old man, he probably had white or light gray hair. The ungents and resins used on his mummy would stain the hair to the light colors described. His original color as a younger man? Almost impossible to say, but a dark red is not impossible by any means.
That sounds plausible as well. I find it odd that people would look to mummies, esp. older ones for irrefutable evidence of hair color, for exactly those reasons. I would prefer some historical reference, or portraiture to confirm such a trait. Otherwise, I think it simply cannot be stated for a fact, one way or another.
Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Still during Rameses II time there was quite a few foregin mercenaries settled amungst the autochronous population in the Delta. Probabaly even some Hykos people remained in the Delta,and over the years a gradual migration of Caanite[Palestinean] people migrated into the Delta. We know as far back as the 12th dyansty as Sinuhe tells us that Southern Upper Egypt and the furthest part of the Delta was so distinct that people from the regions would not reognize themselves nor understand the speech of the people in Upper Egypt.
Rameses II's ancestors came from non-royal ancestry from a mercenary family that was promoted by Horemheb. We know that most of the mercenaries in Egyptian armies tended to be either Libyans,Caanites,and Nubians. Around this time quite a few Libyans migrated into the Delta often intermarrying with local Egyptian women and producing offspring. Makes sense to me also that Rameses II Caanite heritage since one of his own daughters is named Bint Anath[Bint means daughter in Arabic],so it appears that his family origin also included Caanite elements.
Let me point out something I have before is that many races of people often have blondism in early youth. This includes the aboriginals,Melanesians,and even modern Nubians. Thus you can't really use hair color as an ethnic marker in the case of Egyptians. Albinism might be another factor.
Wigs in ancient Egypt were made of various colors including yellow,blue,and even red. Most Egyptian scenes with the exception of the Fowling in the marshes scene in the Tomb of Nebamun and Hesi-Re show wigs.
Unfortunatley,I looked all over for the sculpture of Rameses II as a youth and I cannot find it. I believe the sculpture shows him next to Heru bearing the sidelock of youth.
The only way we can know the original hair color or texture of a mummy is through electron analysis. I have read a few reports that Rameses II hair was a natural reddish color from these studies but I am also somewhat skeptical of the labratories they were tested in.
Through time,weather,burial conditions,and chemicals used in mummification process turns hair color unnatural colors. Hair also loses elasticity from mummification.
The pharoah had more than one name such as the nomen[usually his home residenence],the sem-tawy name[king of Upper and Lower Egypt],and Heru name[the pharoah being a manifestation of Heru]
Rameses II heru name was Usermaatresetepenre.
[This message has been edited by ausar (edited 12 September 2004).]
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
Once again, it's amazing what facial reconstruction can do, using forensics. This would probably be a shocking development for people who have a certain romanticized image of Ramses II, from the reddish or as some say, "blondish" color hair of the mummy!
quote:Originally posted by supercar: Once again, it's amazing what facial reconstruction can do, using forensics. This would probably be a shocking development for people who have a certain romanticized image of Ramses II, from the reddish or as some say, "blondish" color hair of the mummy!
The picture also concurs with Wally's earlier comment about Maspero's observation: "the mummy was prognathous". (everted, rather than inverted mouth)
posted
Supercar...when i want to just crack up laughing I look at some of these extreme posts. your picture of Ramses II is simply comical. I'm waitinh for the picture of Cleopatra that looks like Aretha Franklin.
Posts: 5822 | From: USA | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Horemheb: Supercar...when i want to just crack up laughing I look at some of these extreme posts. your picture of Ramses II is simply comical. I'm waitinh for the picture of Cleopatra that looks like Aretha Franklin.
Gee thanks! I would really love to take credit for painting those images, but that would be dishonest, you know. If you have issues with those papyrus paintings, I strongly recommend you confront the Ancient Egyptian artists who painted them! You do have an option of meeting them face to face to give them your piece of mind, or you can simply send them a fan mail expressing your critique of their work! Only one problem though...they are DEAD! So you might want to check with your nearest local "communicator with the Dead".
Horemheb, I have come to understand that you are not merely delusional, but in real need of psychiatric help!
[This message has been edited by supercar (edited 14 September 2004).]
posted
[QUOTE] [Makes sense to me also that Rameses II Caanite heritage since one of his own daughters is named Bint Anath[Bint means daughter in Arabic],so it appears that his family origin also included Caanite elements.]
Anath is a Syrian goddess. In Ougaritic myth she is a virgin warrior goddess rather like Athena. As a popular goddess I'm sure Anath would have been a popular name amongst Ougaritic-Canaanite girls.
regards, sneuropa
[This message has been edited by sneuropa (edited 14 September 2004).]
Which is why I suggested that Rameses II might have some Caanite ancestry because of the name of his daughter was very Semetic. Not rare since time memorial we have trickles of Syrian,Phonecian,Caanite,and Hykos in Egypt either by captives in war or by coming to Egypt voluntarily. He obviously named his daughter a very Semetic name like Binat Anath. However,it appears he also embrace matriarchical Kemetian culture being that his mother,Tuya, was his head advisor. She was queen mother and guardian which was alien in Semetic culture.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Presumably the daughter was given a Canaanite name because her mother was Canaanite? It seems to me that the Egyptian royal household was of very mixed race. I reckon that with all the foreign princesses sent as gifts/tribute to Egypt most of the princes and princesses could have been quite a mix of Syrian and African (non-KMT) races.
Although Rameses had a Kemetian mother and father I think there could have been enough foreign blood to give him red hair. Even if there wasn't red hair in the Kemetian race(s) already. This is not implying that the Ancient Egyptians were "white" (what ever that means anyway). Its obvious that most Kemetians were of dark skin and hair- but there must have been some variety, especially amongst families which contained foreign members.
The other question is whether the Canaanites were red haired? I suppose the above implies again but that the Syrians as a whole were paler than Kemetians and had even more foreign influences from Europe and Iran etc.
posted
Sneuropa,you might notice that during the Middle Kingdom Senworset I and later pharoahs brought in many captives and settled many in the Delta. Many Phonecians,Caanites,Libyans[Berbers],and other groups came in and intermarried with the Delta Egyptians. Already by this time according to the texts of Sinuhe we see that the Delta was distinct from the people in Upper Egypt.
What also occured was the Hykos invasion which some scholars believe was a mixture of Hurrian[Indo-European] and Semetic[Caanite] ancestry. Most likely the Hykos according to the Brooklyn papyrus has an effect on the population here.
You are right that the royals would sometimes get concubines from foregin lands as gifts,and often bear children. However,I don't believe that these children inherited the throne except under special circumstances. The title ''royal ornament of the king'' was an honor bestowed on various harem women in Egypt,and to have their children become pharoah was also an honor. Not to mention that many conspiracies from the time of Pepi p6th Dyansty] down to Rameses III[19th dyansty there were various attempts to assassinate the pharoah to take power.
Indo-European ancestry in the modern area of Syria is plausible because of the Mitanni being right there in Egypt.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
How does this fit in, if at all, with the accusations of anti semite policies often attributed to Rameses II? You know, expulsion (exodus) of the Hebrews and all that?
posted
Rasol, even if Rameses II would have been mixed Caanite/Hykos ancestry he would have at least been culturaly Kemetian. Which would is explain,if true,the common exodous stories. This is a whole new can of worms that I guess we could argue for days about.
If you read Manetho and Josephus you will see both equate the Hykos with the exodous Hebrews. Manetho calls the Hebrews leperous people who were forced from Egypt that were followers of Set. We know during the Hykos stay Set enjoyed high status amungst the Hykos people. In later times the Egyptian peasents associated Set with the Ptolomeic Jews who settled in parts of Egypt,and even rejoiced when the Romans overthrew them in revolt. This could be a folk memory of the Hykos event.
Some people will even say that Rameses II was not the exodus pharoah. We know from the Mereptah Stela that Israel is mentioned for the first time in historical notion as a nation but not as slaves. Maybe the later Hebrew scribes embellished their stories to satify their egos. We know the Kemetians did a similar thing telling Didorus Siculus they conquered all the way to Persia and India.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Know one seems to have picked up on my original comment about the French and their 'discovery' -"the French examination of the pharaoh and their conclusion that Rameses II had naturally red hair."
When Rameses died, he was well over the age of 90. So whatever the color of his hair when he was 19 years old, it most likely wasn't the same color as when the brother was old. Maspero's observation seems the more plausible (he was the first to see the mummy unwrapped). White hair that was chemically dyed (on purpose or not).
Know one seems to question the French researchers on their 'discovery'...
And isn't anyone here familiar with the Masai Moran? Amongst them (and a lot of other East African groups), artificially dyed red hair is a fetish! ...
[This message has been edited by Wally (edited 15 September 2004).]
quote:And isn't anyone here familiar with the Masai Moran? Amongst them (and a lot of other East African groups), artificially dyed red hair is a fetish!
Of course, but the Kemetians according to Diop viewed red hair as taboo. Among many Africans red hair is associated with famine and dietary deficiency. My opinion is that if the goal is to deny the Africaness of Kemet, then Ramesis red hair, real or imagined doesn't help them.
posted
"...the type of certain Pharaohs, like Ramses II, appears related to the Abyssinian type." American anthropologist Carlton S. Coon, The Races of Europe, p96, Macmillan 1939 http://www.geocities.com/wally_mo/rameses_2.html
Consider that observation by Coon in the context of this comment by Loring Brace regarding Herto man (earliest known homo sapien found in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) dated at 150k:
"That splendid Ethiopian specimen is a good candidate for being an ancestor of Ethiopians, but not Europeans. C. Loring Brace". Brace argues instead that Neanderthal is the ancestor of European man.
Here's what's funny:
Coon could argue that Ramesis was Abyssinian type because he believed modern man evolved 1st and most in Europe with other races being lesser evolved deginerate forms (of Europeans). Of course we know today that this is nonsense.
Brace argues from the perspective of having to face the reality that man evolved in Africa (ex. herto man). So....he needs Europeans to have their own (neanderthal?) anthropological heritage, separate from African homo sapiens.
But if Brace is correct that herto man is the ancester of modern Abysinnian, and not of European man.... and Coon is correct that Ramesis is Abysinnian type, well........
Herto Man 150ky (Ethiopia)
These guys play so many games with their "caucasoid" anthropology that they sometimes trap themselves.
[This message has been edited by rasol (edited 16 September 2004).]
posted
[QUOTE] ["You are right that the royals would sometimes get concubines from foregin lands as gifts,and often bear children. However,I don't believe that these children inherited the throne except under special circumstances. The title ''royal ornament of the king'' was an honor bestowed on various harem women in Egypt,and to have their children become pharoah was also an honor."]
So they did keep their royal blood lines pure. Thats the origins of "higher races", not all that nonsense on Stormfront.
Isn't it more likely that they would have dyed red hair black than vice versa? Also I find it unlikely that black hair could turn red in the tomb. But what if his hair was grey with age? Grey hair could become discoloured in the tomb? It's true that black hair turns red with famine- I've heard of this happening in China too. But not after death.
regards, sneuropa
[This message has been edited by sneuropa (edited 16 September 2004).]
[This message has been edited by sneuropa (edited 16 September 2004).]
posted
Sneuropa,the Ramesseside line has no connection to the previous royal dyansties of the 18th dyansty. His gradfather,Seti I, was a high offical in the military that originally hailed from the Delta.
As far as hair changing colors, the process of embalming a mummy in ta bath of natron and other material has shown to have turned hair into blondish reddish colors. Hair also from this process loses elasticity and becomes straight. The only way we can know for sure the original texture or hair color of human hair is through eletron microscopic analysis.
Certain archaeological conditions in burial and even salts from the Sahara has turned pre-dyanstic mummies buried naturally into different colors from their original color which was black and tightly curled. Of course,the modern and ancient Egyptian population has a very diverse type of hair texture that include many types from kinky to wavy to even straight in the Delta region.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I watched a show on the Amazon women from Mongolia and among all of the dark-haired mongoloids there was a little girl with light skin, red hair and freckles. They think she might be the link between the Amazons that fought in the 10th year of the Trojan war and the modern world. Just my two-cents.
Posts: 3 | From: Montana, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for this thread, ausars posts above supports exactly what i've been saying all along on the other troll infested thread "white pharaos".
Only black nazis as rasshole and his Transvestite half sister Doug M can deny the asiatic origin/connection of the Ramses family. Posts: 1554 | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
The reason that the 19th was different from the 18th was because of the weaknesses of Akhenaten's policies. Therefore, his descendants were overthrown and replaced by the Generals with new leadership. THAT is why the 19th is different from the 18th.
The question remains WHERE did this new leadership hail from. Now, the idea that a bunch of blonde haired Levantine type troops were chosen by the generals from among the rank and file of Egypt is purely absurd. This is especially so considering the fact that much of Egypt's highly trained and most trusted troops came from the South, like the Medjay. On top of that, the aim of the early 19th dynasty was to PUSH BACK the growing threats of the asiatics along the Northern frontier. So why on earth would you create a dynasty of Asiatic derived, Asiatic deity worhsipping pharoahs, who paid homage to invading Asiatics from the 17th dynasty to be your vanguard against Asiatics? You wouldn't.
There is a difference between having some POSSIBLE Levantine ancestry among SOME MEMBERS of the Ramessid line and claiming that these were all WHITE BLONDE Levantine type people totally different from the average Egyptian. And all the while worshipping Set in HOMAGE to the Asiatics who invaded and devastated the country previously.
That is bullsh*t.
You can put it any way you want and try and spin it any way you want, but you have no clue what you are talking about.
Ramses I was the beginning of the Ramessid line. He was generally depicted much like the pharaohs of the 18th dynasty and does not look much different. The same goes for Seti I, whose mummy is not "specially" different from other Egyptian mummies, considering that all mummies are different to begin with. Ramses II is the son of Seti I and Ramses II is not the BEGINNING of the Ramessid line. He is the THIRD of the line. The features of Ramses II does not make the whole LINE or all the PRECEDING pharoahs descendant of Levantines. It only indicates that HIS ANCESTRY may have more Levantine influence, possibly through his mother. But of course that is purely speculation.
Posts: 8889 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Doug M. Now, the idea that a bunch of blonde haired Levantine type troops were chosen by the generals from among the rank and file of Egypt is purely absurd.
Who talked about "blond haired levantine type"? do you even know how the people of northern west asia look like? Blondism is rare in that region, show me a pic of palestinian/syrian gathering and we'll see exactly how many blonds are in there. You need to get yourselves a passports and make some traveling, like taking a brake from watching images on the net for once.
quote:So why on earth would you create a dynasty of Asiatic derived, Asiatic deity worhsipping pharoahs, who paid homage to invading Asiatics from the 17th dynasty to be your vanguard against Asiatics? You wouldn't.
This dynasty was not created by the 18th dynasty, it was created by horemheb who was a high ranked general (many descendant of asiatic migarnts were used as military leaders), ramses was his closest partner so he gave him the throne. Akhenaten weakend the 18th dynasty with his new religion which made it easy for horemheb to usurp the whole dynasty and instate Ramses as his own successor.
Posts: 1554 | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
You aren't saying anything. There are indeed possibilities of Levanine mixtures among members of the Egyptian population in ancient times. That is beyond doubt.
However, this has not been denied.
The point still stands as to where are your specific facts showing how the 19th dynasty had LESS affinities with other North East Africans than Levantines. You have not provided any facts other than conjecture.
And WHO were these Asiatics in the Egyptian army of High rank? Certainly you aren't suggesting that either Horemheb or Ramses I were Asiatics? Again talk with nothing to back it up.
Posts: 8889 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
The year 400 stela states SPECIFICALLY that Seti and Ramses I were "Great of the Medjay". So which mercenary group do you think this means that Ramses I hailed from?
^ Seriously. For anyone who claims that Ramses was non African or non Black. Explain the above. At least make up and excuse, so we can 'debate' it.
Otherwise we have to conclude that everyone agrees that Ramses was and African, and not and Asiatic.
Medijay: [ancestral to Beja] Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
^ I completely forgot about that remark from that particular stela. If Ramses was of Medjay ancestry, it would make perfect sense that his father as a mercenary would then rise to become not only Pharaoh but considered a legitimate one by the Egyptian people! As most of us know, the Medjay were close allies of the Egyptians which played a pivitol role in helping the 18th dynasty not only expell the Hyksos but subdue the Kushites. There is even some slight evidence to suggest the 18th dynasty itself may have a partial Medjay ancestry.
Yes, this makes perfect sense as to how the Ramessides as a foreign family could get away with becoming the ruling family of Egypt. As well as all of the depictions displaying obvious African appearances.
Posts: 26238 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
Someone mentioned the 19th dynasty being different from the 18th, I've noticed the 19th dynasty had the only pharaoh that was equated to an incarnated God, most likely because of the red hair that mimicked Set, so yes I do believe Ramses had naturally red hair, but at the same time this equation to a God is just as rare, and so I also believe Ramses was rare, not originally descended from native Egyptians, as Ausar pointed out.
Posts: 105 | From: Japan | Registered: Jan 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Red hair is a deceptive term. All hair has elements of the fundamental chemicals that produce hair color, which are found in all humans. The Melanocortin 1 receptor or (Mc1r) is found in all human hair meaning that all human hair color is a combination of reds and blacks and other colors. Therefore, finding some trace amounts of the chemicals for red hair are not surprising or strange. But this does not tell you that Ramses II had flaming red hair. It could have been dark brown. Therefore, people need to understand what controls hair color and also understand that all the biochemical components for hair color existed in Africa before anywhere else.
Posts: 8889 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
^ And again, all pharaohs were concieved of as gods. The whole institue of pharaoh is like that found in virtually all other African societies that had kings in which the king was also a god.
By the way, what gave you the idea that red-hair was somehow associated with divinity?? Last time I checked the Egyptians like many Africans considered natural red hair an abomination. The only god associated with red hair was Set who at that time acquired demonic traits.
Posts: 26238 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: Red hair is a deceptive term. All hair has elements of the fundamental chemicals that produce hair color, which are found in all humans. The Melanocortin 1 receptor or (Mc1r) is found in all human hair meaning that all human hair color is a combination of reds and blacks and other colors. Therefore, finding some trace amounts of the chemicals for red hair are not surprising or strange. But this does not tell you that Ramses II had flaming red hair. It could have been dark brown. Therefore, people need to understand what controls hair color and also understand that all the biochemical components for hair color existed in Africa before anywhere else.
Another good observation.
The chemicals in question are two forms of darkening agent, phaomelanin and Eumelanin.
Phaomelanin tends to be a reddening or yellowing agent whereas EuMelanin is much darker.
However, even Black hair may have some Phaomelanin, and even Red or Blonde hair will typically have at least a little EuMelanin.
Moreover, unlike skin color, the patterns of hair pigmentation, tend to vary in unpredictable ways over the course of ones life.
Hair that has mostly EuMelanin in youth, and then loses it in old age tends to turn from black to grey or white - with little evidence of 'red'.
Hair that has both EuMelanin and PhoaMelanin in youth, may loose one more than the other over time.
Australian Aborigines sometimes have Red/Blonde hair in youth, which turns Black in adulthood as more EuMelanin is produced, and PhaoMelanin production decreases..... the hair then turns white in old age, as EuMelanin production decreases.
In a February 2005 Science article (Nishimura, et al.) Harvard scientists proposed that a failure of melanocyte stem cells (MSC) to maintain the production of melanocytes could cause the graying of hair. This failure of MSC maintenance may result in the breakdown of signals that produce hair color. http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/grayhair.html
Understanding this, we can see why it's extremely difficult to assess the hair color in youth of the remains of a 70 + year old man such as Ramses.
It would actually be much more sensible to measure the Melanin in his skin, which is not subject to such and over abundance of 'qualifiers'.
I find it interesting that Egypto-forensics tend to de-emphasize direct skin color testing, in favor of all manner of bizarre attempts to infer skin color by testing other things.
Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
^ It's not as if it's impossible to directly measure skin color....
A-M Mekota1, M Vermehren2
Biotechnic & Histochemistry 2005, 80(1): 7_/13
"Materials and methods In 1997, the German Institute for Archaeology headed an excavation of the tombs of the nobles in Thebes-West, Upper Egypt. At this time, three types of tissues were sampled from different mummies: meniscus (fibrocartilage), skin, and placenta. Archaeological findings suggest that the mummies dated from the New Kingdom (approximately 1550_/1080 BC).
The basal epithelial cells were packed with melanin as expected for specimens of Negroid origin." Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic