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In the Mountain ranges of Tadrart Acacas, in Southern Libya, was found the oldest intentional mummification culture of the Garamantes:
This bit of evidence brings to a complete end to the discussion on the origins of not only the Tuareg people but also offers some insight into the dawning of the Egyptian civilization. This evidence shows that the ancient Tuareg people of the Sahara looked not much different than the modern Tuaregs. This fits with classical writer depictions as well as genetic research.
The child mummy was described as having Negroid characteristics. When contemporary anthropologists describe remains as having 'Negroid' features we have to question what that means. Negroid is now a dyfunct term but still used in identifying skeletal remains. Yes, it is still in use for identifying remains but primarily to separate West Africans (African Americans) from European Americans (primarily NW Euroepeans). The features were similar to that of modern day Oromos and or Tuaregs.
What we can conclude from the mummy remains:
First and most importantly is that the evidence clearly supports a continuity of the Tuareg type throughout the Sahara. That the cultural innovations that lead in part to the civilization of Egypt were developed in the Sahara by the Sharan people similar to the ones we find there today. In terms of origin, the remains appear to be similar to East Africans like the Oromos, Masai, Tutsi and other Sub-Saharan Africans.
Genetic evidence also supports a continuity of the PN2 clade that started in Southern Ethiopia and spread to North Africa and to SE Europe in the Neolithic.
The evidence, so far, has it beginnings with this Black child and his or her culture.
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