Thrilled to tune into this lecture @Harvard lecture on Egypt and Nubia as African civilizations and historic whitewashing in racist approaches to Egypt

Herodotus/Hecateus noted how geography (Nile, desert) individuated Egypt from Africa, which led to Orientalist (Breasted, et al.) separation of Egypt from Africa as a whole

Perception of isolation is tied to divide between Saharan and sub-Saharan colonial conquest and racial stereotypes employed so frequently

"Hermetic hypothesis" - hypothesizing that Egyptians/North Africans were not Africans, but Arab or Caucasian or West Asian. Oy.

Egypt seen as IN Africa, but not OF Africa; Orientalists and colonialists placed emphasis on Egyptian ties to ancient Near East. Flinders Petrie argued that pharaonic society brought to Egypt by "race of people from the north"

Budge drew similarities between Dinka symbolism and Egyptian religion, but Budge was still colonialist/racist in other parts of his approach

Frankfort argued that Egypt shared relationships with other East African cultures (cattle complex, similar to the Dinka). Seen in bull's tail on Narmer palette and cow dancing

...except Frankfort brings in Hamites. No.

Egypt had extensive trade elsewhere in Africa and less influence than some thought in Aegean and elsewhere in Med.

If Egypt had a long history in the Levant, even longer and more robust history in interactions with Nubia. ex. Nubian theology influenced Amun-Re and ram imagery - traditional reps. of Nubia as "primitive" are false

Powerful women leaders in Kushite society - like Amanitore - distinguish it. KANDAKES!

STS discusses problematic nature of distinguishing "Black pharaohs" as isolated category by NatGeo and anachronistic emphasis on racial division destroys ancient Egyptian-Kushite context by mapping current prejudices/stereotypes onto a past in which they didn't exist.

"We love lazy tomb robbers." They leave stuff behind.

Check out this amazing Bes vase! Lotus and frog lid - locally produced faience (likely); Sudan had long history of faience. Sudanese Nubia as important power and producer of art

Scholars depicting Kush as Black version of implicitly "white" Egypt inherently discriminates against both Nubia and Egypt and their historic peoples.

This appeals to racialized constructions of Egyptian society and miscegenation laws and enslavement.

Ridley Scott's Exodus movie plays into this

The recent "Nature" article was bad. Really bad. STS does a good job explaining why; here are some highlights

AAAAH DR. HENRY LOUIS GATES JR IS HEREEEE

Dr. Gates asked how we explain difference in skin colors depicted between Egyptians and Nubians if not for race. STS points out race as modern construction vs. concept of ethnicity

STS says whether or not skin was lighter wasn't seen as "better" or "worse"; Egyptians despised their enemies equally. When king legitimating power over neighbors, uses ethnic stereotypes (king dominating lightest people of north and darkest people from south) - Egypt in middle

Dr. Gates made a good point that both Egyptians and Nubians took time to represent own skin colors, but we're extrapolating their understanding of what that meant. It was important enough for them all to represent - but Dr. G asks why Nubian pharaohs represented selves as Black

Nubian pharaohs called selves "Kushites" - STS says that some Nubian and Kushite kings represent themselves in different ways and with different traits depending on social context of individual ("Egyptian" or "Nubian" mode).

STS says color emphasized when someone wanted to make a point about difference of representation. Dr. Gates says the question of representation is one we must still consider

I must remember to pronounce Kandake as Kan-DAH-kee

STS recommends "Egypt-land" on 19th century racism in Egyptology

Ann Macy Roth's 1995 letter, too