From antiquity onwards many African tribes practicing many forms of body modification for different reasons; one of these forms is facial scars, -the focus of this study-. Body modification conveyed in a non-verbal way such as indications, signals and messages to those who understand their meaning. It is clear that the Ancient Egyptian realized that meaning and was able to notice that each Nubian group had its own unique facial scarification that was reflected in their art where the Nubians were being depicted with different shapes of facial scars precisely as some were depicted with scars on the shape of two or three slated lines on their cheeks, while others with four or six horizontal lines on their foreheads, etc.. However, the ancient Egyptians were able to notice that there were other Nubians who did not practice scarification. This study aims to shed light on facial scarification of Nubians that were depicted on Ancient Egyptian scenes and sculptures to be able to determine their ethnic origin according to their facial scars depending on the ethnographic study, as well as the technique of scarification and the reasons for this practice among those Nubians.

The Depiction of Nubians' Facial Scarification in Ancient Egyptian Art