Costel’s Reviews > An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence > Status Update

Psamtik II and subsequent Egyptian pharaohs tried to erase the memory of Kushite rule in Egypt.

Kush was an ancient kingdom in what is today northern Sudan. Although it lasted for 3,000 years, many people have never heard of it.

Ramesses II's appetite for huge building projects was matched by his sexual abundance; a libidinous fellow, he had about 50 wives and concubines and more than a hundred children, perhaps as many as 160. By the age of 15 he was already a father of seven!

Tutankhamun had a disorder that prevented him from walking with ease, and he died when he was around 18 years old.

Royal incest was not a taboo for the ancient Egyptians. Incestuous marriages were a way of concentrating power and wealth, and keeping it within the royal family.

In total there are well over 100 pyramids in Egypt, but the Great Pyramids at Giza are the ones that have induced wonder for millennia, ranking among the most magnificent of human achievements.

Many readers are familiar with the southern African word 'ubuntu' in the Nguni language, which means 'humanity to others' or 'I am what I am, because of who we all are', which captures the essence of Africa's indigenous beliefs.

I noticed that the children in this 25-strong community were raised collectively by all the women. This practice, called alloparenting by anthropologists, is not unusual in Africa. One study of the Efe people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo found that infants had an average of 14 alloparents a day by the time they were 18 weeks old.

What we can say with absolute certainty is that 99 per cent of our evolutionary history occurred on the continent. Everyone today is either African or the descendant of an African migrant.

Until 8,000 to 12,000 years ago, all humans were dark-skinned. Pale complexions, fair hair and light colored irises only evolved as humans migrated beyond Africa and adapted to different climates, which over time led to the varied racial characteristics we see today.