▁October ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁where ▁the ▁authors ▁dispute ▁a ▁claim ▁that ▁" Her odot us ▁was ▁given ▁as ▁authority ▁for ▁their ▁being ▁negro es ." ▁They ▁point ▁out ▁with ▁reference ▁to ▁tomb ▁paint ings : ▁" It ▁may ▁be ▁observed ▁that ▁the ▁complex ion ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁is ▁invari ably ▁red , ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁yellow ; ▁but ▁neither ▁of ▁them ▁can ▁be ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁anything ▁in ▁their ▁phys i ogn omy ▁at ▁all ▁res emb ling ▁the ▁Neg ro ▁count en ance ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁Constantin ▁François ▁de ▁Ch asse b œ uf , ▁comte ▁de ▁Vol ney , ▁wrote ▁" The ▁Co pts ▁are ▁the ▁proper ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁An cient ▁Egypt ians " ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁" j au nd iced ▁and ▁f umed ▁skin , ▁which ▁is ▁neither ▁Greek , ▁Neg ro ▁nor ▁Arab , ▁their ▁full ▁faces , ▁their ▁pu ff y ▁eyes , ▁their ▁cr ushed ▁nos es , ▁and ▁their ▁thick ▁lips ▁... ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians ▁were ▁true ▁negro es ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁type ▁as ▁all ▁native ▁born ▁Afr icans ". ▁ ▁Just ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 9 , ▁Jean - Fran çois ▁Champ oll ion ▁stated ▁in ▁his ▁work ▁Eg yp te ▁An ci enne ▁that ▁the ▁Egypt ians ▁and ▁N ub ians ▁are ▁represented ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner ▁in ▁tomb ▁paint ings ▁and ▁relief s , ▁further ▁suggesting ▁that : ▁" In ▁the ▁Co