Modern researchers generally credit Egypt as the birthplace of science, while earlier academics pointed to ancient Greece. This view is so widespread that standard textbooks routinely introduce scientific history through a Greek or Egyptian lens, implying that these two civilizations pioneered scientific thought before anyone else.
In Egyptian mythology, the god Thoth is credited with first teaching humanity how to calculate the movements of the heavens, the stars, and the earth. Revered as the keeper of time, seasons, and cosmic balance, he is said to have mastered every branch of knowledge. Rwandan tradition speaks of a similar figure named Kibariro, whose attributes closely mirror the Egyptian descriptions of Thoth.
Kibariro introduced people to the same body of science linked to Thoth. An elder who attended the National University of Rwanda while Father Alexis Kagame was a lecturer recalled a historic meeting where the leading intellectuals of the era gathered at the Sierra Hotel in Kigali, now the Sierra Restaurant, to discuss a subject titled "Tresor de la Nation Rwanda," or the treasure of the Rwandan nation.
They found that the Egyptian god Thoth, first known as Djehuty, carries a name linked to Intiti. Regardless of any linguistic link between Djehuty and "Intiti," Rwandan tradition identifies Kibariro as the ultimate pioneer of all knowledge.
Rwandan oral history also holds that the ibis bird represents knowledge, as the Pharaoh Djehuty was represented by the head of an ibis. People familiar with Rwandan tradition will recall a song about this called "Nyirabarazana." Nyirabarazana is the Kinyarwanda word for ibis. The song features a father speaking to his daughter, Nyiranzana.
The father bid farewell to his young daughter, promising to return after studying the sciences in Buhanga, famous as the ultimate peak of knowledge. He never came home, leaving his daughter waiting forever. Since then, the bird known as "Nyirabarazana" has symbolized knowledge. Legend holds that if this bird visited a newborn baby, the child would grow up to become a true master of wisdom.
The name Kibariro comes from the verb kubara, meaning "to count." It was a nickname given to him to honor his innovation; his real name was Gahuriro. He taught people how to count and how to use the calendar. In fact, the Kinyarwanda word for calendar is named after him.
The Bible notes that God brought animals to Adam to name them. Rwandan oral tradition, by contrast, credits Kibariro with naming all livestock, birds, and wild animals. This feat earned him the nickname "Kibariro cya myaka na bihe, Icyotamakara cy'i Buhanga," meaning the one after whom time and livestock are named, and the formidable black patriarch living at Buhanga.
Oral history holds that Kibariro pioneered the art of mummification when he preserved the body of King Gahima. He also empowered Rwandan women by teaching them to track their menstrual cycles, using a unique calendar he created long before the Egyptian lunar calendar existed.
According to oral tradition, Gahuriro is the longest-lived Rwandan in history. As the brother of Nyirarukangaga, his life predated founder Gihanga. He is remembered for burying King Gahima and for assisting King Yuhi I Musindi during his return from exile in Gala to claim the throne of Nyamirembe, the City of Peace.
Finally, I do not need to look to Egypt for ancient mathematical discoveries; a key piece of this history belongs to this region. The Ishango Bone stands as the world's oldest tally of prime numbers. Experts initially dated the artifact to between 9000 BC and 6500 BC. A new evaluation of the discovery site, however, suggests the item is more than 20,000 years old.
Many historians overlook the history of sub-Saharan Africa, often treating science as though it appeared suddenly in either Egypt or Greece. In reality, Egypt represents the climax of ancient African civilization and the true starting point for Greek culture.
The writer is a media specialist, historian, and playwright.