The research into the pre-historic journey of anatomical modern man (AMM) is still on going, but these are what we've uncovered so far:
1. The Khoisan people of South Africa appear to be the first AMM.
Khoisan type in South Africa |
3. Their Westward migration was towards the Adamawa Plateau in West Africa, where the Nok culture was developed (see Berom and Jarawa people).
4. Their Eastward migration was along the Nile; towards: Egypt, North East Africa (now Middle East), and Euro-Asia.
What are the evidentiary facts to support Jarawa peoples’ migration into Asia?
1. DNA evidence: recent DNA studies have confirmed that the Jarawa and some other human groups in Asia Pacific had traces of DNA from individuals that migrated, tens of thousands of years ago, from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe and Asia. Their closest relatives have been confirmed, through DNA tests, to be the Khoisan people above.
2. Linguistic Evidence: the linguistic evidence at this point is inconclusive for many of the Jarawa people in Asia today are isolated. However, it is important to note that not only do you find a group of Africoid people going by the name "Jarawa" in Asia, but you also find them going by the same name in sub-Saharan Africa. Interestingly, the Jarawa people in Asia today are mostly found in the Andaman Islands; where as, the Jarawa people in sub-Saharan Africa reside around the Adamawa Plateau - notice how similar the names are i.e. "Andaman" and "Adamawa." I don’t think this commonality of names is a coincidence.
3. Archeological Evidence: a key archeological evidence is the commonality of divination system in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia (more specifically, China). When I examined the origin of sub-Saharan African divination system (i.e. IFA), I found out that IFA was conceived locally by the Khoisan, or perhaps by the earliest Bantu hybrid type. It’s not implausible that it was these same people who later transferred the knowledge of IFA system to the Shang Dynasty (i.e. Shango in Yoruba) of China when they migrated into Asia thousands of years ago. This I consider as to be the reason why IFA divination system and Chinese I Ching hexagram system are one and the same. (Adapted from my essay "Hybridization and The Absorption of Hominids Into The Diverse Human Population).
Oware board-game |
In conclusion, I maintain that the journey of the AMM was not that of evolution, but rather of mutation and hybridization. It was the Khoisan and the hybridized Bantu type that left their homeland in Africa for other continents, where they interbred or hybridized with Erectus to survive in hostile environments.