Are the Ancient Minoans the Keftiu Blacks from Africa?

Settling the Misconceptions

The Minoans were neither black nor were they originally from Africa. This common misconception began with Sir Arthur Evans, who proposed the comparison between Minoan and Egyptian art. Today, the most accurate way to determine the origin of a people is through genetic research, which provides compelling evidence about the Minoans.

Based on the mitochondrial DNA studies, the Minoans were closely related to European populations, particularly those from Northern and Western Europe. Geographical analysis of shared mitochondrial DNA variations further supports this conclusion, with the highest similarity found among Neolithic populations from Southern Europe.

From “Genetic Origins of the Minoans and Mycenaeans” in Nature — The Minoans and Mycenaeans were genetically similar, with at least three-quarters of their ancestry from the first Neolithic farmers of western Anatolia and the Aegean, and the rest from ancient populations related to those of the Caucasus and Iran.

The origins of the Minoans are thus clearly rooted in Neolithic Europe, without any substantial genetic ties to Africa. This means that the Minoans did not resemble modern Africans in appearance, nor did they originate from that continent.

Note: Cultural obsession with skin color is not new. Regardless, the evidence strongly supports that the Minoans were Neolithic European ancestors.

Revisiting the Keftiu Identification

The question of whether the Keftiu and the Minoans were the same people remains unresolved. The Minoans were recognized as a pre-Hellenic race in Egyptian representations of Aegean figures from the Eighteenth Dynasty Theban tombs. Notably, a scene from the upper register of these tombs depicts Cretan bearers in typical Minoan dress and hairstyles, and three figures identified as the chiefs of various lands, including Keftiu (Crete), Hatti (Hittites), and Tunip (Western Asia).

However, the “Chief of the Keftiu” figure in these representations stands out. He has short hair, a beard, and wears a simpler kilt with a fringe, attributes seen among Syrian and Asiatic figures. This distinction has puzzled scholars and led to various interpretations. Some suggest that the “Chief of the Keftiu” is a mislabeled Syrian figure inserted by the artist to fill out the composition.

Some scholars argue that the appellation “Chief of the Keftiu” is an ascribal error or a standard formula for foreign lands, with no actual connection to the depicted individuals' appearances.

The identity and appearance of the real Minoan chiefs continue to be debated. The historical and archaeological evidence, while providing a glimpse into the Minoan-Egyptian interactions, leaves room for further investigation and clarification.