by

Clyde A. Winters, PhD Uthman dan Fodio Institute

© 2007

The Proto-Saharan people took writing from Africa to other parts of the world. These ancient African explorers were literate and left us with many inscriptions describing their deeds and legacy.

The archaeological evidence indicates that African literacy began in the Sahara over 5000 years ago . This earliest form of writing was a syllabic system that included hundreds of phonetic signs, which over time was shorten to between 22 and 30 key signs, and used as an alphabet by the Egyptians, Meroites, Phonesians and Ethiopians. We can notice that at the beginning of the neolithic stage in Egypt on the edge of the Western Desert corresponds with expansion of the Saharian Neolithic culture and the growth of its population . I call this area the Fertile Saharan Crescent. The Fertile Saharan Crescent is an arc shaped series of highland regions in the Saharan zone of Africa. The Saharan zone is bounded on the north by the Atlas mountains, the Atlantic Ocean in the West, the tropical rain forest in the south and the Red Sea in the East. It was here that the ancestors of the founders of the river valley civilizations in Africa, the Middle East, China and Indus Valley developed their highly organized and technological societies . The discovery of Intercultural style vessels from Susa (in Iran),Sumerian, Egyptian and Indus Valley sites , by Kohl, suggest a shared ideological identity among these people . In fact the appearance of shared iconographic symbols and beliefs within diverse areas suggest cultural and ethnic unity among the people practicing these cultures. The common naturalistic motifs shared by the major civilizations include, writing (symbols), combatant snakes , the scorpion, bull and etc. This evidence of

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cultural unity is explained by the origin of these people in the Proto-Sahara . In Egyptian we have several terms for write Ø ss #, Øzs # , and Øssw #. During the Old Kingdom writing was referred to as Ø iht # . The Egyptian term for writing Ø ssw # is analogous to the Mande terms Ø sewe # or Ø sebe # 'writing, trace, design'. In Dravidian among other terms we have rasu 'write', and shu 'writing' in Sumerian. The Egyptian term Øzs # is also closely related to Sumerian Ø shu #. Writing systems among African people were mainly devised for two purposes. Firstly, to help merchants keep records on the business ventures they made. Secondly, the Proto-Saharan script was also used to preserve religious doctrines or write obituaries. The scarcity of documents, written for historical preservation among ancient African groups resulted from the fact that the keeping of history, was usually left in the hands of traditional (oral) historians. These historians memorized the histories of their nation and people for future recitation before members of their respective communities. This oral history was often accompanied by music or delivered in poetic verse and remains the premier source for the history of most African nations even today. The origin of writing among the Proto-Saharans as an activity involving the engraving of stone is most evident in the Egyptian language. This hypothesis is supported by the Egyptian words Ø m(w)dt #. The term Ø md t # means both '(sculptor's) chisel' and 'papyrus-roll, book'. The multiple meanings of Ø md t # makes it clear that the Egyptian, and probably other descendants of the Proto-Saharans saw a relationship between engraving stone and the creation of books. Other Egyptian lexical items also support the important role Proto-Saharans saw in engraving rocks, and writing. In addition to md t we have, Ø hti # 'carve, sculpture' and Øiht # 'writing'. The fact that iht is an Old Kingdom term for writing, almost identical to hti, is further evidence that writing involved the engraving of stone. The Dravidians were also Proto-Saharans, they used the same writing system as the Mande and as a result, you can read the Indus Valley signs using the Vai script, but translating the words into Tamil.

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The illustration makes it evident Egyptian writing and the Indus Valley writing come from similar sources. Due to Eurocentric orientation of many researchers, they believe that Africans only created ancient civilzations in Egypt and the Horn. This has made them blind to the unity found among the writing systems in these areas, and writing systems discovered during archaeological excavations in the Americas and Asia. Due to this ignorance many researchers believe that the only Egyptian writing that existed was Hieroglyphic, Demotic and Hieratic. The is not true the Egyptians also used a linear/syllabic form of writing as illustrated by the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman relief . They also employed this writing in making tokens.

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The earliest examples of this writing is found on Egyptian pottery.

It is clear that Africans probably had writing around 5000-7000 years ago. This is supported by the recent discovery of inscriptions in the Saharan desert that relate to Seth worship.

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http://www.geocities.com/ahmadchiek/Seth1.jpg Recently the magazine Archaeology published an interesting inscription found in the Saharan region. If you look carefully at this inscription you will detect signs similar to those listed on the table above. The picture has inscriptions under the figures. On the left side we see a figure of a cannine and on the right we have a figure of Seth. Reading the inscriptions from right to left I will decipher the writing. Under the cannine figure we have: Be tu a ka na or "To exist obedient to the order in joy [with the] Mother". Reading the inscriptions under the Seth figure we have reading the inscription from right to left: i lu i gyo fa yo gyo, or " Thou hold upright this divinity of the cult, [our] Father, the vital spirit of the society consecrated to (Seth's) cult". This figure is important in relation to the Western Sahara and the Seth cult. Michael Rice, in Egypt's Making: The Origin of Ancient Egypt 5000-2000 BC, makes it clear that Seth was the god of the Southern people and that Anubis (the canine god) was the protector of the people of the South. In addition to this evidence of pre-Egyptian writing in Africa we also have the

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inscription from Oued Mertoutek.

This inscription was also found in the Sahara. It is around 5000 years old. Both these inscriptions make it clear that Africans had knowledge of writing over 6000 years ago. Given this evidence of writing in Africa,we can not positively claim that Africans could not have taken writing to Europe 5000-6000 years ago. It is clear that literacy existed in Africa around this time. Given the African origin of the people of the Indus Valley, Minoan Crete and Mesopotamia a discussion of writing in these area of the world is germane to this topic. The languages of the Dravidians, Elamites, Sumerians and Manding are genetically related . N. Lahovary noted structural and grammatical analogies of Dravidian, Sumerian and Elamites. K.L. Muttarayan provides hundreds of lexical correspondences and other linguistic data supporting the family relationship between Sumerian and Dravidian. C. A. Winters and L. Homburger have provided evidence

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of a genetic relationship between the Dravidian languages and the Manding Superset of languages. Dr. Homburger has also proven that the Manding and Coptic languages are closely related. The Qustul incense burner indicates that the unification of Nubia preceded that of Egypt. The Ta-Seti had a rich culture at Qustul. Qustul Cemetery L had tombs that equaled or exceeded Kemite tombs of the First Dynasty of Egypt. The A-Group people were called Steu 'bowmen'. This shows that the Steu people used symbols that later became Egyptian writing. Another example of ancient Nubio-Egyptian writing is the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman relief. Williams and Trigger have failed to discuss the entire inscription on the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman relief. These scholars ignore the Proto-Saharan inscription, and describe only, the relief from left to right as follows: a serekh topped by a falcon looking over a victorious battlefield, sacred bark and a bound prisoner .

But in reality we find more than these figures on the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman inscription which appears to date back to the A-Group period of Nubia over 5000 years ago. This is obvious when we examine the photograph of the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman relief. The signs associated with this writing are found in the Vai script. Reading the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman signs by interpreting following the Vai syllabary gives us keen insight into the meaning of this important historical document. Reading from left to right on this relief we see a falcon on a serekh sign surmounting a house/ palace. In front of this village/ palace scene we see a prisoner

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bound by Stj ‘bow’ ( the sign for the Steu). Facing the prisoner bound by Stj bow ( the sign for the Steu). Facing the prisoner bound by the stj sign we see a bird over a circle with the letter X inside. Besides this scene we have another bird setting a top the letter X within the circle sign facing a victorious battle scene which includes a man bound to a sacred bark. Over the sacred bark we find 21 Proto-Saharan signs. These signs agree with the Egyptian pottery symbols (see figure 3). The Gebel Sheikh Suleiman inscription is an obituary written about a king called Fe . As noted above Homburger found that the Manding languages are closely related to the Coptic language. Using the Manding language we can read the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman inscription. Reading from right to left we read:

1. i gba lu 2. fe kye nde 2 1/2. ka i lu 3. fe fe tu 4. be yu su (su su) tu 5. su se lu gbe 6. po gbe tu

Below is the translation of the Gebel Sheikh Suleiman inscription: "1. Thou family habitation, hold (it) upright. 2. Fe's estate (is on) the shore (of the watercourse). 2 1/2. Cut thou (sepulchre) habitation for the family (here). 3. Fe preferred to be obedient to the order. 4. Lay low the (celebrity) in the large hemisphere tomb (and) offer up libations that merit upright virtue.6. Pure righteousness (is) King (Fe)."

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Another system of writing employed by Africans was the Proto-Sumerian or Linear Sumerian writing. This writing was used in mesopotamia before the introduction of the cuneiform writing. There are few Proto-Sumerian text on the WWW. As a result I will use as an example the Sumerian inscriptions found in South America.

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You can read the Proto-Sumerian text by using the Vai signs to transliterate the Proto-Sumerian symbols and then reading them in Sumerians. A very interesting Proto-Sumerian inscription is found on the Pokotia Monument.

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Pokotia Monument

The inscriptions on the figure are found in several places.

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There are many Proto-Sumerian symbols on the Pokotia Monument The inscription under the hand on the Pokotia figure is very interesting. It consist of twelve signs.

Transliteration:

Mi Putaki Zi yu u ka ka mi i ka be i

Translation

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" The oracle Putaki conducts man to truth. (This) esteemed (and) precious oracle to sprout esteem, (now) witness (its) escape". There are a number of Proto-Sumerian text. These text are usually found on seals that depict Sumerian Gods and writing.

Lets examine the seal above. The V and small "t'signs are read Mi Mesh "Praise the diviner". Connected to this sign are three additional symbols a half moon sign, with a line in the middle, that goes below the half circle and turns into a pyramid placed just above the human headed feline. Beginning with the line above the half moon we read : i a pa "The [Diviner] the leader to capture the watercourse". The diviner is probably the figure setting on the box sign with a small "t" inside. The box with a small "t" inside reads bu mesh "The perfect Diviner". On the Diviner's arm we see three wavy lines above the arm on the rudder. These wavy lines can be interpreted as the word zi "the breath of life". At the rear of the boat we see a figure holding one sign in his hands and another sign is near the bottom of his robe. The sign in his hand is called ta 'entrust', the line on his robe is a compound sign tu la "make the luxurious libation". The seal would read from left to right as follows: " Entrust [the Diviner] to make the luxurious libation. The breath of life is the Perfect

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Diviner. Praise the Diviner. [He is] the leader [who will] subdue the watercourse".

Here is another interesting Sumerian seal. On this seal we see the Sun God between two peaks. Paul Menansala has observered in relation to this figure the following: "The Sun God stands between the peaks of Mt. Mashu, located at the end of the earth to the East and through which the sun rises from the underworld." On the arms of the Sun god we see three wavy lines on each arm. The wavy lines mean zi There are Proto-Sumerian signs before the figure and behide the figure. In front of the Sun God we have the following: i ta mi "Emerge Deity to open [here] a phenomenal area of your power". Behind the figure we read the following: Mash pu gal "The Deity's perfect Diviner is great".

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Above we have a very interesting Sumerian/ Akkadian seal. Some researchers claim the "cuneiform" inscription reads Adda the dubsar or scribe. The figures with pointed hats represent gods. Among the Mades and Mande the pointed hat represented a priest. The figure with streams of water with fish flowing from his shoulder is Enki, god of the subterranean water. Enki protects the law and gives rulers their intelligence and craftsman abilities. Enki's leg is bear and probably represents leadership. Behind Enki is the two-faced vizier Usimu. Next is Ishtar, she has wings and weapons placed on them. In front of Ishtar, between two peaks is the Sun god cutting his way through the mountain; from his shoulder we see three wavy lines emanating from it which represents zi 'the breath of life'. The god with a bow may represent Nuska the hunting god. Over the lion we find a box with a Sumerian inscription. In the right panel we see a capital 't' placed a top a triangle. The triangle represents the sign me which has a number of meanings including: divine law, oracle, universal law. In the panel on the right we read from top to bottom me du; me ta pa and under these signs boot shaped sign with four lines on top tu dar lu . This panel reads: "Make the me. Entrust the me (to this ) person to make the perfect libation". In the left panel we read from top to bottom ni bu-tu. gi bu , "(In) Respect make the perfect libation. Act justly ( in its) distribution". This discussion of Proto-Saharan writing systems make it clear that various ancient people in Sumer, the Saharan region and Egypt used a syllabic script. The inscriptions they left appear to have served talisman or amulet. . They were carved to illustrate the devotion of these people to their gods and goddess and are a great testimony to the great civilizations built by the Proto-Saharans.

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