Who are blacks and where did they come from? Where did black people come from? What the law says

An international group of scientists has found out when the division of Homo sapiens into separate groups. This process, which led to the emergence of modern genetic diversity and such races as Mongoloids, Negroids and Capoids began more than 260 thousand years ago. talks about a study whose preprint was published in the bioRxiv repository.

According to archaeological, paleontological and genetic data, evolution modern man(Homo sapiens) occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. In the area of ​​the East African Rift Valley, which stretches from Ethiopia to Mozambique, the oldest remains of people of the genus Homo were found, dating back to the Olduvai culture (2.7-1 million years ago), characterized by the most primitive stone tools. In 1960, the remains of Homo habilis were discovered here, which led to the emergence of a hypothesis about the African origin of man.

The oldest anatomically modern human fossils have also been found in East Africa. The age of the fossilized bones is estimated at 195 thousand years. At the same time, the results of genomic studies have shown that the carriers of the most ancient DNA are the peoples of hunters and gatherers living in South Africa. These include representatives of the Kapoid (Khoisan) race - for example, the Bushmen. The separation of the Khoisan peoples from the rest of humanity occurred, according to researchers, about 160-100 thousand years ago.

Bushmen are a vivid illustration of the fact that there are no external signs characteristic of only one human race. They have dark skin with a reddish tint, but anthropologically they differ from Negroids: they are relatively short in stature (up to 150 centimeters), and their faces have Mongoloid features. Genetically, the Bushmen are the most different from other living groups of people.

The Khoisan peoples have haplogroup A - a specific set of DNA on the Y chromosome, inherited from one ancestor. He was the Y-chromosomal Adam - the ancestor of all living people. According to recent estimates, he lived approximately 200-300 thousand years ago. He has nothing to do with the biblical Adam, since he was not the first person in the world - his parents were also people. A concept close in meaning is Mitochondrial Eve, from which modern humanity inherited mitochondrial DNA.

Traces of the ancestors of the Bushmen were discovered in the Sibudu Cave, Border Cave and other places in KwaZulu-Natal, a province of South Africa. Here, the age of the oldest human sites reaches 100 thousand years.

Researchers from Sweden and South Africa analyzed DNA isolated from seven individuals who lived in the last two thousand years. The remains of these people were found in the areas of Ballito Bay and Doonside, Mount Champagne Castle and other places. Scientists have identified the nucleotide sequence in the DNA of three hunter-gatherers who lived two thousand years ago, characterized by a Stone Age culture, and four farmers of an Iron Age culture (0.5-0.3 thousand years ago).

Although the concepts Stone Age" and "Iron Age" refer to specific cultural and historical periods in the development of mankind, in different places globe they started and ended in different centuries. So, some African tribes used stone tools until European colonization. In South Africa the Stone Age passed directly into the Iron Age, although in Europe it passed first into the Bronze Age.

The results of genomic analysis showed that all three hunter-gatherers and one farmer were carriers of the mitochondrial haplogroup L0d, which is found in modern representatives of the capoid race. The remaining three representatives of the Iron Age culture had the mitochondrial haplogroup L3e, characteristic of speakers of Bantu languages ​​(these peoples live throughout almost the entire territory of Africa, south of the Sahara).

Scientists also assessed the level of relatedness between the genomes of ancient people and modern peoples. To do this, they compared the genetic data of seven individuals from KwaZulu-Natal with genotype databases from South Africa, the entire African continent and other regions of the globe. The results were consistent with previous ones: hunter-gatherers were related to the capoid race, and Iron Age farmers were related to the Bantu-speaking populations of South Africa.

Researchers noticed that in the genome of the Bushmen and other Khoisan peoples living in Africa in at the moment, there are signs of mixing with migrants from Eurasia and East Africa, such as the Amhara, the second largest people in Ethiopia. The degree of cross-breeding among the Khoisans reaches 9-22 percent. This mixing occurred, according to scientists, 1.5-1.3 thousand years ago.

Anthropologists were also able to reveal some details early history person. For this, the relatively well-preserved genome of the Ballito Bay boy came in handy. His DNA remained intact genetic mixing, allowing scientists to assess the extent to which hunter-gatherers from KwaZulu-Natal and other peoples diverged. To do this, the boy's DNA was compared with 12 other genomes belonging to archaic and modern people. According to the results obtained, the ancestors of the Khoisan peoples separated from the rest of Homo sapiens 285-365 thousand years ago.

Previously it was believed that the oldest division of Homo sapiens into separate groups occurred approximately 160-100 thousand years ago. The new dating is almost half the time that has passed since Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) and Denisovans (Homo denisova) separated from the main branch of Homo 700-765 thousand years ago. According to the researchers, H.neanderthalensis and H.denisova diverged from each other almost simultaneously with the division of H.sapiens into groups.

Thus, the results obtained by scientists postpone the beginning of the process of dividing humanity into races by almost 100-200 thousand years. This happened before H. sapiens left Africa (one hundred thousand years ago), moving to the Middle East and Europe.

Despite the fact that when communicating with people of a different race, well-mannered people use correct terms, there are still enough: Muscovites, Katsaps, crests, Bulbashes, etc. Although in terms of their “offensiveness” they cannot be compared with such famous word Like "Nigers." Where did this word come from? Why does it offend representatives so much? And doesn’t it have other meanings? Few people know the answers to these questions. Let's try to understand the topic.

Why can black people call blacks?

For quite some time now, African Americans have negatively perceived even the neutral word “negro,” believing that in fact the lexical unit has logical roots. Translated from Spanish, “negro” means “black color”. From time immemorial, people of the Negroid race were called this way. In journalism, representatives of the capoid race - Bushmen and Hottentots - fell under this definition. And in Russia this term is used to describe dark-skinned mulattoes.

Who are niggas and how did the term itself develop?

It is not surprising that such a convenient term is used in scientific vocabulary and many abbreviations. The word “negro” is the only possible designation for the color black, so the manifestation of political correctness here seems somewhat absurd. In the Netherlands and Flanders, the Dutch word "neger" may be criticized, but is not officially considered politically incorrect. But we note that in the dictionaries there is a note that the term is perceived by some people as offensive.

In European languages ​​in the 17th century, in the wake of colonialism, words with similar sounds appeared. Thus, the term “niger” appeared in Latin. How to determine who the nigers are, and what is bad in this word? The word “niger” has the same meaning, it is just an emphasis on the black skin color, so there is nothing offensive here. But after the collapse of colonialism in the second half of the 20th century, the official use of the term sharply decreased, it became mainly vulgar speech. Note that in the USA the term was replaced by the word “black”, and in France by “african”. Термины «nigger», «nigga» остались в англоязычном просторечном общении и иронично употребляются самими афроамериканцами, а из уст европейцев считаются оскорблением и проявлением расизма.

Why are black people treated with caution in some countries?

In Russia the situation is somewhat different, because even today representatives of the Negroid race are considered exotic, despite the fact that a stream of African students has poured here since the middle of the last century. Perhaps outdated views are explained by too deeply rooted traditions, negative perceptions of mixed marriages and denial of everything unusual. Касательно нашей основной темы отметим, что основная часть темнокожего населения произошла из испано- или португалоязычных стран, а именно, Кубы, Анголы и Мозамбика, где слово «негр» или «ниггер» не является оскорбительным. In the Russian language, the concept of “Nigers” also does not have a negative linguistic coloring, which cannot be said about the United States, where it is used as an offensive name of the black.

In general, the meaning of a word depends on the emotional connotation and context of the phrase. The times of slavery are still fresh in the memory of the black population, when the word “nigers” implied “slaves”. Although this fact is not accurate, because representatives of all nationalities, with any skin color, fell into slavery. Thus, there is no reliable information about who the Nigers are and who were called such a word. However, dark-skinned inhabitants of the planet are trying to remove this term from everyday life, associating it with renegades and outcasts of society. Gradually the practice of cessation of use offensive nickname is becoming more and more widespread, and in the United States representatives of the Negroid race are honorably called African Americans. In Latin America they also prefer to replace the term "niger". The meaning of the word here does not offend the population, however, when communicating with residents of other countries, another concept is used - “prieto”. Under the influence of Spanish, the Brazilian media supports the trend of using the term "negro".

IN lately Increasingly, the designation of black people as Negro Africans is being used. This is especially observed in the Romance-speaking countries of the Mediterranean basin, which are in close contact with North African countries, where there is a very high density of Arab, Berber and black populations. This term makes it possible to identify an exclusively black element from a mixed population.

What does the law say?

Not so long ago, the theme was considered by the federal court on the use of the word “niger” by one African American regarding another in order to express love and gratitude. The court ruled that the use of such an expression carries a negative connotation, regardless of the context. The judges tried to determine who the niggas were and whether the leader was obliged recruitment agency compensate his black employee for calling her that term. The case was decided in favor of the injured side, but about the use of the word "nigers" were established when the whites use it, this is an insult, but blacks can be malicious to push each other.

In conclusion, I would like to note that Niger is really ambiguous word, which, in addition to skin color and nationality, also calls a deep river, the third largest after the Nile and Congo. And this is also a state in West Africa. Therefore, remember, having heard the expression “niger”: the meaning of the word can be different, and to understand the phrase, you should focus on the context.

Although the word "Negro" in modern society sounds a little incorrect, that's exactly it historical name stuck to a small ethnic group, whose representatives have lived in Abkhazia for many generations. These people have black skin color. They have dark, curly hair and facial features characteristic of the indigenous people of Africa. How did they appear in the Caucasus?

What kind of people?

Abkhazian blacks are a small community of indigenous inhabitants of several settlements located at the mouth of the Kodor River. Area of ​​compact residence of this ethnic group includes the villages: Adzyubzha, Agdarra, Elyr, Chlou, Kyndyg, Tamysh, Merkula, Pokvesh, Tkhina and others. Some of these people moved to the capital of the republic, the city of Sukhum, and to neighboring regions of Georgia and Russia.

Despite belonging to the Negroid race, they consider themselves Abkhazians. They speak to each other the same language as their neighbors. Dress and behave in accordance with Caucasian traditions. The lifestyle of representatives of the above-mentioned ethnic group is no different from the Abkhazian one. There is a deep assimilation, made possible as a result of numerous mixed marriages and complete isolation from the original cultural environment.

Like other Abkhazians, local blacks grow vegetables, fruits and berries for sale, work in industrial enterprises, and do business. They profess Islam, although some sources claim that some of the representatives of this ethnic group are Jews; among them there are also Catholic Christians.

In the 19th century, these people spoke only Abkhazian, but now many know Russian. They no longer have any special traditions or rituals characteristic of the inhabitants of Africa. But Caucasian features appear in appearance, despite the black color of the skin. The large number of mixed marriages is taking its toll.

Slaves from Africa

How did black people get to Abkhazia? Researchers put forward various versions. Some historians believe that the slave trade is to blame. Supposedly, several hundred Africans were purchased by local princes.

The need for labor forces forced representatives of the Abkhaz nobility to turn to human traders, who transported black slaves from Africa to the Mediterranean countries since ancient times. Two or three ships, noticeably moving away from the usual trade routes, landed on the Caucasian coast around the 17th century. Obviously, this was an isolated case of mass purchase of Africans by the Abkhaz princes.

The famous writer Maxim Gorky visited the village of Adzyubzha in 1927. He met with local residents and concluded that they were most likely the descendants of slaves brought from Ethiopia.

This assumption is confirmed by the Jewish religion of some black residents of the Caucasus. It is known that this religion was widespread in Ethiopia.

Shipwreck survivors

According to another hypothesis common among the Abkhaz people, no princes bought slaves to grow tangerines. It’s just that a ship carrying slaves was wrecked off the coast of Abkhazia. Black people who were slaves in Ottoman Empire, greedy traders were going to sell it to Russian aristocrats, who paid well for such an exotic product. But a storm on the Black Sea prevented the implementation of these plans. Many slaves managed to escape and swam to the shore. So modern Abkhazian blacks are presumably the descendants of people who survived the shipwreck.

Heirs of the Colchs

Some historians believe that the black inhabitants of the Caucasus descended from the Colch tribe. According to ancient authors, this people inhabited the Eastern Black Sea region. In the 6th century BC, the legendary Colchis arose in this territory - an ancient kingdom that was founded, according to legend, by immigrants from Egypt and Abyssinia.

Although there is no reliable scientific evidence that the Colchians were representatives of the Negroid race, the famous ancient historian Herodotus considered them to be descendants of black Egyptians, since both of these peoples adhered to the tradition of male circumcision.

Came with the sledges

Many residents of the Caucasus, including Abkhazians, consider themselves to be the heirs of the Narts - ancient warriors and heroes, whose exploits are described in a voluminous epic, which is a real monument of oral folk art.

If you believe the legend, then from a distant campaign in African countries, the Nart heroes returned with certain “dark-faced people.” Allegedly, they acted as guides in unfamiliar lands, helping traveling warriors navigate the terrain. And then, together with new friends, we reached the Caucasus.

Heroes of the Nart epic who lived in mythical times, in popular consciousness are unconditional bearers of goodness and wisdom. These are real heroes who always defeat their enemies. Therefore, the Abkhazians simply could not admit that the people brought from Africa were prisoners and were used as slaves.

How reliable this legend about black-faced guides and companions is is up to you to judge.

Gift of Peter I

Like many Russian aristocrats and rulers, Peter I (1672-1725) had a real weakness for various curiosities. Representatives of exotic peoples were also among the sovereign’s hobbies. Let us at least remember the legendary Arab - Abram Petrovich Hannibal, who is the great-grandfather of the great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

According to some historians, Peter I often acquired black slaves from slave traders. Not all of them were able to acclimatize and adapt to life in the northern capital of Russia. So, they say, the caring ruler gave the Abkhaz princes a hundred or two Africans so that they could live in a southern climate suitable for themselves.

As you can see, there are many versions. And some of them even complement each other. But how representatives of the Negroid race actually appeared in Abkhazia remains to be determined by historians and ethnographers.

We live well not in America, and I will not be imprisoned for the word "Negro". Our level of political correctness has not reached this level. And why? Belarusians are called Belarusians, Poles are called Poles. Why is there such a glitch in the USA that only blacks, or only among themselves, can call themselves and each other blacks. This is not political correctness - this is political technology. They created a problem and are fighting it themselves, the whole country! There is nothing else to fight with in the USA!

Not about that! From somewhere strange and unexpected thoughts sometimes come to mind:

Where did the blacks come from? As it turned out, even the all-knowing Internet is not at all saturated with the answer to this question.

But we are talking about one of the largest parts of humanity!

Black guys! WHERE ARE YOU FROM? and Who are you?

Adam and Eve were white people. Let's just say that nothing special is written about dark-skinned people in the Old Testament sources and in the Bible. But unlike China, Africa is much closer to the land of Judea, where the above books were written.

Nevertheless, we understand perfectly well that the Negroid race did not appear out of nowhere and not yesterday, but a very long time ago. Anthropologists write that some bones are 21-45 thousand years old. The great Google gives 5-7 thousand years. Some of the oldest inhabitants of Africa claim that their ancestors arrived on Earth from Sirius 60-70 thousand years ago (perhaps the data of the Dogon and anthropologists are closer to each other).

Dogon

Darwin's theory says that we all came out of Africa. But this does not mean that everyone was black. So who are they and where are they from?

Good afternoon, fathers. I began to be overcome by the thought of the origin of nations from Noah’s children. Where did the blacks and Chinese come from? We really need an answer, there is a whole room of us suffering to hear your opinion. Natalia.

Priest Philip Parfenov answers:

Hello, Natalya!

The Bible is not a history or archeology textbook. Therefore, from a scientific point of view, one cannot approach her texts to answer such questions - she will not answer them. Therefore, different opinions and assumptions are possible. For example, about blacks there is an assumption that it came from Ham. As for the Chinese, as well as the Japanese and many other Far Eastern peoples, including the Eskimos, Chukchi, Aleuts, etc., most likely, the authors of the Bible, written in a very specific Mediterranean culture of ancient times, simply did not know about their existence. So this is an extra-biblical branch of humanity, in my opinion. This means that at least part of humanity came from the sons of Noah, and not the entire population of the globe, and the flood described in the first biblical book was not worldwide in the literal sense of the word, although it could have affected large territories at that time.

Sincerely, priest Philip Parfenov.

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