HUMAN ANCESTRY- paintings by ND Amerasekera

HUMAN ANCESTRY- PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD

Dr Nihal D Amerasekera

I am pleased to post this fascinating collection of Nihal's paintings, with helpful explanatory captions. I am amazed at the quality of his paintings, although I shouldn't be, knowing how skilled he is!- Speedy

Human Ancestry

It is interesting to realise that all human life began in Africa. The oldest fossils of modern humans (Homo sapiens) have been found there, and the DNA of all living people can be traced back to the African continent. 

This all started 200 thousand years ago. Dispersal and migrations began 100 thousand years ago to all corners of the world, where we evolved further to survive in those new environments.

I have painted images of several people from different parts of the world, which show the diversity and how much has changed in our appearance despite our distant common ancestry.

We are all related wherever we live, whether we are black, brown, white or yellow,  is an interesting concept. Something to remember for those zealots who prefer to find differences in us, which causes such unpleasantness and hardships.

I sincerely hope people of this wonderful world will consider their common ancestry and work tirelessly for world peace.

Acknowledgements: I have included information from Google and Wikipedia for authenticity.

"Aborigines"

"Aborigines" is often considered an insensitive and outdated term, and it is better to use terms like "Aboriginal Australians" or "Indigenous Australians" to refer to the original inhabitants of Australia. Aboriginal Australians have inhabited the continent for over 65,000 years and consist of many distinct languages.  They make up some of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. At the time of European colonisation of Australia, the Aboriginal people spoke more than 250 different languages. Aboriginal people make up 3.7% of Australia's population.

Inuits (Eskimo)

The word Eskimo is now considered a derogatory word for the people of the Arctic. The word Eskimo is derived from the Inuit word for those making snow shoes. These Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, which includes the Inuit, Yupik, and Iñupiat. These groups originated in Siberia and are believed to have migrated across the Bering Strait to Alaska, before spreading across North America and Greenland. Today, the people prefer to be called by their specific group names, such as Inuit or Yupik.  Their total population is around 190,000. Their language depends on the place they live. Their origins dates back to 5000 years or longer. Their food consists of fish, hunted animals, and food gathered locally.

Russians

Modern Russians trace their ancestry to early Slavic tribes native to Eastern Europe. The name "Russia" comes from the Rus people, a group of Norsemen (Vikings) who arrived from Scandinavia around the 8th century. These Norsemen established a ruling class that was eventually assimilated by the larger East Slavic population, giving rise to the medieval kingdom of Kievan Rus', and later, the modern Russian state.

Incas

The Inca originated as a small pastoral tribe in the Cusco region of Peru around the 12th century. Incas are native Andean people centred in modern Peru. Their empire extended from Ecuador to central Chile. Their capital city was Cusco. Their total population at the time was around 15 million. The Inca were skilled engineers who built extensive road networks, irrigation systems, and structures like the famous city of Machu Picchu. They spoke many languages, depending on the locality. The potato was the staple food. They domesticated , llama and alpaca and also hunted animals. The Incas were not known to develop a written form of language; however, they visually recorded narratives through paintings. Incas believed in reincarnation and made human sacrifices.

Their empire was conquered by the Spanish in 1530. After the fall of the Inca Empire, many aspects of Inca culture were systematically destroyed, including their sophisticated farming system. Diseases like Typhus, Diphtheria, smallpox, and Influenza of the so-called developed world ravaged the Inca people.

The Māori

The Māori are New Zealand's Polynesian people who arrived in the 13th century and developed a unique culture over centuries. They are known for their distinctive arts, language, and traditions. They make up about 17.8% of New Zealand's population, (There are 900,000 Maori people in New Zealand ).

Polynesians are a group native to Polynesia which is a vast triangle of islands in the Pacific Ocean, and are known for their skilled voyaging and navigation. 

Over time, these settlers developed a distinct culture, which includes their own language, mythology, and traditions, as a result of living in isolation for centuries. There is now great efforts by the New Zealand government to preserve the Maori culture and language.

Sikhs

Sikhism was born in the Punjab area of South Asia, which now falls into the present-day states of India and Pakistan. The main religions of the area at the time were Hinduism and Islam. The Sikh faith began around 1500 AD, when Guru Nanak began teaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam.

Sikhs are strongly against the caste system in India and believe in welfare for all, and all are equal. The Golden Temple in Amritsar remains the holiest place of worship.

Africans

The origins of African people are rooted in Africa itself, as the continent is the birthplace of Homo sapiens. Anatomically modern humans are believed to have appeared in East Africa around 200,000 years ago, and all modern humans have a common ancestry from a group that left Africa 50,000–100,000 years ago. Over time, populations dispersed and adapted to local environments, leading to the vast diversity seen across the continent and the world today.

Today, the term Africans refers to people from the continent of Africa. They remain a diverse group with multiple ethnicities, cultures and languages.

Chinese

The origin of the Chinese people is a result of both ancient migration out of Africa and subsequent local developments. Modern humans in China descend from ancestral populations that migrated out of Africa, with one primary route going through South and Southeast Asia around 60,000 to 50,000 years ago. Later, local Neolithic populations in the Yellow River Basin significantly contributed to the genetic makeup of modern Han Chinese, leading to some genetic differences between northern and southern Chinese populations. 

"Chinese" is a broad term referring to individuals or ethnic groups identified with China, often through ethnicity, nationality, or cultural connections. The term encompasses a diverse population with a rich history and culture. They are also the world's largest ethnic group, comprising approximately 18% of the global human population. The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in China, comprising approximately 92% of its Mainland population.

Veddahs

Veddahs are a minority indigenous group of people in Sri Lanka. They have their own indigenous language but many now speak Sinhala. Veddah were probably the earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka and have lived on the island since before the arrival of other groups from the Indian mainland. Their arrival is dated tentatively to about 40,000–35,000 years ago. The Veddahs were traditionally forest dwellers, who foraged, hunted and lived in close-knit groups in caves in the dense jungles of Sri Lanka.

"Red Indians"

The term "red Indians" is an outdated and problematic term for Indigenous peoples of the Americas, whose ancestors migrated from Asia across a land bridge called Beringia during the last ice age. Genetic and archaeological evidence suggest these migrations began as early as 30,000 years ago and occurred in multiple waves, though the first migration is believed to be the majority. The term "Red Indian" likely emerged during the colonial era, possibly due to some groups' use of red pigment as a self-identifier or a reflection of their skin tone, which was also used by colonists to distinguish them from "white" Europeans and "black" Africans.