If you look at the tomb scenes at Beni Hassan you will find that the people depicted had olive, almost brown skin. No doubt some of the ancient Egyptian population were made up of darker skin tones, and some of the royal families were negroid, very dark skinned, almost black like those of the Ethiopians. The lighter skinned people depicted in ancient Egyptian scenes were of Middle Eastern ancestry, the Amu, which the Egyptians employed as serfs. Some of the oldest Kings and Queens were likely of Ethiopian descent. Most of Egypt's religion and culture can be traced to the Eastern Desert, as evidenced from the Wadis like the Barrimiya and Kanais.