The Ancient Egyptian Family: Kinship and Social Structure (African Studies)

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Scholars in Egyptology have often debated the following question: was the ancient Egyptian society organized along patrilinealxA0;or matrilineal lines? In taking a fresh and innovative look at the ancient Egyptian family, Allen attempts to solve this long-standing puzzle. Allen argues that the matrilineal nature of the ancient Egyptian family and social organization provides us with the key to understanding why and how ancient Egyptian women were able to rise to power, study medicine, and enjoy basic freedoms that did not emerge in Western Civilization until thexA0;twentieth century. More importantly, by examining the types of families that existed in ancient Egypt along with highlighting the ancient Egyptians' kinship terms, we can place the ancient Egyptian civilization in the cultural context and incubator of Black Africa. This groundbreaking textxA0;is axA0;must-read for Historians and those working in African Studies and Egyptology.

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Troy D. Allen is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Southern University. There, he teaches courses in African-American History, World Civilizations (Honors), and the History of Ancient Egypt, along with a course on Race Relations. Dr. Allen is the author of many articles, and also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Black Studies. He recently edited a Special Edition of the Journal of Black Studies focused on the issues of Race, Class, and Poverty in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina