Is Studying Acient Egypt in an African context Afrocentric?

When Origins are Confused with Points of View’s

When studying ideological constructions and views we must understand that they come from an amalgamation of thoughts, cultures and the enforcement of ideals of those in power. We remain unconscious to bias, although some do not, we classify ways of analyzing groups from either Eurocentric, Afrocentric, Asiacentric or similar views. To ask if a study of ancient Egypt in its African context is Afrocentric is surely missing the purpose of how an entity is studied. The question entirely answers itself. The context in which an entity is studied does not make that entity a product of the study. Similarly, studying Ancient Egypt in African context is the correct way not necessarily the Afrocentric way to get a more holistic and in depth understanding of Kemet.

To better understand the idea behind what is not Afrocentric and what should be seen as otherwise, we extend our reach to scholars like Ann Macy Roth, a visiting assistant professor of Egyptology at Howard University and S.O.Y Keita the author of an article whose title probes the very question this essay proposes to answer. Dr Roth defines what Afrocentric Egyptology is in different nations and how political Egyptology differs from the professional. Dr Keita on the other hand proposes the same view as made in this essay which is, to study Egypt in African context is more correct than it is Afrocentric. It is with the scholarly insight of these authors that we move forward to understand why the study is not Afrocentric and why it should be deemed the actual or correct method to study ancient Egypt.

The idea that the study of ancient Egypt is or should be Afrocentric seems not entirely but most certainly somewhat skewed. It’s the idea that because an entity is being studied in African context it should be seen as if it’s from an African set of views. Before we go further we ask what is Africentrism , the dictionary defines it as “Centered or focused on Africa or African peoples, especially in relation to historical or cultural influence”. If we take this definition we find that almost instantly individuals classify the study of ancient Egypt as Afrocentric. But we must look at what makes something Afrocentric. If we take an invention perhaps and use cultural and historical references from African history to provide our claims upon something is that making it Afrocentric? But if that invention is entirely African than how is that Afrocentric? When we look at things shown to us as non-African and then when we look at them with an African lens it is then that we see an Afrocentric view. As Dr. Roth mentions, “In America …Afrocentric Egyptology is less a scholarly field than a political and educational movement, aimed at increasing the self- esteem and confidence of African-Americans”. She goes on to mention that this is not Afrocentric as “This kind of [Afrocentric] Egyptology has little to do with the Egyptology that we professionals practice”. We can further assert that just because the context of the study is African doesn’t make the whole study itself as Afrocentric.

Progressing this notion further we have Dr. Keita who proposes that asking questions about Egypt itself, its geography, language, culture and even biology of inhabitants provides us with knowledge to proclaim that Egypt was African and when studied within African context is not classified as an Afrocentric study. Dr. Keita mentions that “….the emergence of ancient Egypt. Its African local is indispensible to a scientific and common- sense understanding of Egypt”. In other words the origin of Egypt is certainly African and therefore its remains true that “ Studying ancient Egypt in its African context is not ‘Afrocentric’, but simply correct”. So because something has its ancestry in a particular group when we study the entity form that groups context namely African context it does not make it Afrocentric.

It is rather correct to study something from its ancestry and heritage than to go to other societies and learn about it. When we look at Europe from and African perspective we can assert that as Afrocentric but when we look at Egypt from and African perspective we can deem that as the real method that should be used to understand Egypt.

Questions:

If what is taught in schools not Afrocentric Egyptology than what is actual Afrocentric Egyptology?

What are the differences between Scholarly Study of Afrocentric Egyptology and Educational Egyptology?