Local Variety
Widespread Bantuid variety of East Africa with relatively narrow noses, possibly due to Ethiopid influence. Found from South Somalia to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, especially in Ganda, Hutu, Nyoro, Hehe, Gogo, Chaga, Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Swahili, mixed in Hemba, Kikuyu, Kamba, and others. As early as 1000 years ago slavery brought it to Arabia and Iran, from 1500 CE on it expanded south to Namibia and gave rise to Herero and others.
Dark brown skin, usually kinky, sometimes peppercorn hair. Medium tall, brachyskelic, mesomorph. Dolicho- mesocephalic, chamae- orthocranic. Rather wide face. Meso- platyrrhine nose, narrower than in other Bantuids. Mouth large, lips rather full. Eyes often narrow. Prognathy and receding chin occasionally found.
The North Bantuid variety was defined by Eickstedt (1934) and kept later as North Kafrid (Eickstedt, 1951; Schwidetzky, 1965; Hirschberg, 1974) or alternatively East Bantuid (Vogel, 1974). Usually part of Kaf(f)rid (Baumann, 1952; Lundman, 1967; Baker, 1981) or Zambesid / South Africanid (Chabeuf, 1959; Vallois, 1971).
