The Black Egyptian hypothesis states that ancient Egypt was a predominantly Black civilization, as the term is currently understood in modern American ethnic perception. It includes a particular focus on identifying links to Sub-Saharan cultures and the questioning of the race of specific notable individuals from Dynastic times, including Tutankhamun,[1] the king represented in the Great Sphinx of Giza,[2][3] and Greek Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
The hypothesis is primarily adopted by Afrocentrists.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] while Asante maintains that Diop predates the term.[18] Advocates of the hypothesis believe race is commonly used by historians,[19]:50–52 the black racial category was comprehensive enough to absorb the various phenotypes in Ancient Egypt, and "many of the most powerful Egyptian dynasties...one can usefully call black."[20]:48,55[21]:242
