Description
Mediterranoid group, mostly concentrated on the Indian subcontinent. Generally dark haired with light to medium brown skin and long-headed. Forehead high, relatively narrow, straight nose, often gracile facial features with a modeled chin. The almond-shaped eyes and lips tend to be larger than in Mediterranid proper. Was already present 2000-3000 BCE in the Indus Valley in cities like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. Probably derives from various Indo-European migrations to India. The small Gracile Indids are usually regarded as the most typical variant. They contain a Mountain Indid, a Sinhalesid, and a Keralid subvariety. In North-West India and Pakistan, a taller North Indid variety exists. The Toda has sometimes been seen as a North Indid variety, but may be treated independently. Various ancient migrations brought it to Thailand, Arabia, Madagascar, Indonesia, and Europe, newer ones to America, Great Britain, and Australia.
Physical Traits
Skull: Long-headed
Hair: Dark
Skin: Light to medium brown
Forehead: High, narrow
Nose: Straight
Chin: Modeled
Eyes: Almond-shaped, large
Lips: Large
Build: Gracile
The Indid type is characterized by dolichocephalic (long-headed) skull shape with high and relatively narrow forehead. Facial features are often gracile with a well-modeled chin. The almond-shaped eyes and lips tend to be larger than in the Mediterranean type proper. Nose is straight, and the overall facial structure shows refined features. Skin tone ranges from light to medium brown, while hair is typically dark. The build tends toward gracile proportions, especially in the Gracile Indid subvarieties.
Literature References
This phenotype has been documented in anthropological literature under various names:
- Indid (Eickstedt, 1952; Vogel, 1974; Knussmann, 1996)
- Indo-Afghan(e) (Deniker, 1900; Vallois, 1968; Debets, 1974)
- Indiana (Biasutti, 1967)
- Mediterranean Indian (Cole, 1965)
- Indo-Dravidian (Hooton, 1946)
- Homo indicus (Bory, 1827)
