In a totally unexpected turn of events we have found that even though evidence suggests otherwise, no term exists describing the field of study or those or participate in the study of melanin. Melanin, apparently, has been around forever. There are over 270,000 scholarly articles at the present involving melanin in one way or another. Melanin is worth over $395 a gram more than gold. There are upwards of 1,000,000 patents involving melanin. Over 269,000 books mention melanin. Yet, despite all that, there is no term for the study of melanin, nor the people who study melanin.
We have previously proposed Melaninology as:
The scientific study of melanin, its uses, the metabolic processes which involve its production and functions.
With that we define Melaninologists: People who engage in melaninology or the study of melanin. By defining that word we exert power. As Dr. Huey P. Newton still tells us, power, is the ability to define phenomena and have it produce a result. With the preceding information regarding the scholarly articles and patents involving melanin, as well as the number of books mentioning melanin, it will become clear the need for a well defined field with experts as pertaining to melanin is in order.
- Book search results for “melanin” = about 269,000 results (0.45 seconds)
- Books search results for “egyptologist” = about 1,200,000 results (0.51 seconds)
- Book search results for “astrologist” = about 14,100 results (0.37 seconds)
- Book search results for astrology = about 484,000 results (0.45 seconds)
Ngram search results produced 0 results for “melaninologist” and “melaninology.” The web search produced About 49 results (0.39 seconds). Most of those were mocking or using the term in jest. The ngram search shows egyptologist as a term first coming into use beginning in 1860.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines egyptology as “The study of Egyptian antiquities, of the ancient Egyptian language and history.” It lists the first use in the February 1862 edition of the Saturday Review followed by W.E. Gladstone’s 1876 book “Homeric Synchronism.” The Saturday Review of Sir George C. Lewis’ ideas on “The Astronomy of the Ancients” tells us that Lewis believes, “Egyptology…has an historical method of its own.”
However, the earliest use of the term egyptologist we were able to find comes through Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine for 1839. The term appears on page 379. It is part of a footnote explaining the objections to the dating of the Trojan War, at that time, by “Mr. Sharpe,” described as “an acute and able Egyptologist” whose “Early History of Egypt” supports “Mitford’s” position. Apparently, the Mitford referenced is William Mitford, author of a five volume work entitled “The History of Greece.” “The Early History of Egypt” mentioned above is probably the 1836 book written by Samuel Sharpe.
The Hierogrammata. A new enquiry into the structure and contents of the ancient Egyptian chronographies, with a view to ascertain the true position of Egypt in the times of universal history by Henry Brown published in 1848 describes Champollion as the creator of Egyptology, we can, likewise, create melaninology.
