Numidians: Appearance??

[Blathergut]

Anyone have any good factual details on ancient Numidians and their appearance?....skin tone(s), etc?

It seems they match more the Greeks/Carthaginians/Phoenecians than darker Africans. Yes?

[marioslaz]

Anyone have any good factual details on ancient Numidians and their appearance?....skin tone(s), etc?

It seems they match more the Greeks/Carthaginians/Phoenecians than darker Africans. Yes?

I knew too Numidians skin tone was near to Carthaginians. I remember also Scipio married one of his sister to Masinissa, the Numidian's king with whom he wanted an alliance against Annibal. i don't think Scipio would have married one of his sister to a black man, even if at that era likely there wasn't racial discrimination like today. Anyway, Mediterranean Africa was ever inhabited by white people like Egyptians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and black people lived more South. Numidians inhabited near Mediterranean coast so they was likely white. It's also possible with the generical name Numidians were grouped many tribes, some of which with darker skin.

[Mithras]

Anyone have any good factual details on ancient Numidians and their appearance?....skin tone(s), etc?

It seems they match more the Greeks/Carthaginians/Phoenecians than darker Africans. Yes?

I knew too Numidians skin tone was near to Carthaginians. I remember also Scipio married one of his sister to Masinissa, the Numidian's king with whom he wanted an alliance against Annibal. i don't think Scipio would have married one of his sister to a black man, even if at that era likely there wasn't racial discrimination like today. Anyway, Mediterranean Africa was ever inhabited by white people like Egyptians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and black people lived more South. Numidians inhabited near Mediterranean coast so they was likely white. It's also possible with the generical name Numidians were grouped many tribes, some of which with darker skin.

As they were the ancestors of the Moors, who are definitely dark skinned, I'd argue that they were in fact probably darker than one might suspect. Not all North Africans have lighter skin. As for Scipio, I don't think marrying his sister to a black man would have been a problem. This simply wasn't an issue for the Romans. There were black Roman citizens, including, later or course, an emperor or two (at least).

Most people paint Numidians in medium skin tones, and that's generally what I go with myself, but honestly, I suspect that any interpretations are just as good as any others.

-Mithras

[Legionbuilder]

I have always thought they were darker skined because they were from Northern Africa
Mine are all darkskined

[Blathergut]

No...mario is right...do a google for juba or massinissa....see what they look like on their coins.

[CrazyHarborc]

People from warm, warm sunny climates get more sun. More sun causes a deeper tan. "Weathering" of skin causes deeper skin tones too.

[timurilenk]

Mine are all dark skinned - not sure it really matters too much as we do not really know.

The coin idea is a good one though, suggesting perhaps lighter skin - though I am sure with a heavy tan.

[Probert]

I remember reading a historical reference that the Numidians were brown people with brown hair on brown horses - a quip from a Roman general, but it may give guidance.

Mine are painted medium-dark, not Nubian or Nilotic in tone, but darker than Mediterrainian types. I just painted the hair black.

[Mithras]

No...mario is right...do a google for juba or massinissa....see what they look like on their coins.

Ok... in that case, they should all be bronze, copper, silver, or gold...


In seriousness, though, not every dark skinned person has tell-tale facial features, bone structure, etc. Look at some of the semitic groups for reference to this. The Arabs, Ethiopians, Egyptians, and Hebrews - all Semitic people, all with very different coloration. I suspect that, if the Romans called them "brown" they were probably "brown", and given that your average Roman wasn't exactly a pale fellow....

-Mithras

[paulburton]

Don't forget that 'Semitic' is a linguistic rather than ethnic classification. I would suspect that the numidians would be 'mediterranean' in appearance rather than sub-saharan. Probably not unlike their Libyan neighbours.