This volume represents a new departure in the examination of Egypt's place in the African context. It brings together the latest research of the 1980s on Nile Valley civilizations, what they achieved, and their impact on Africa and the world. The authors take an "Afrocentric" in contrast to a "Eurocentric" perspective in their studies of the birthplace of civilization. This volume includes sections on the race and origin of the ancient Egyptians, black dynasties and rulers, Egyptian science and philosophy, and great Egyptologists. It sheds new light on neglected aspects of history. Ivan Van Sertima is professor of African studies, Rutgers University, and editor of the Journal of African Civilizations. He is the author of They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America, winner of the Clarence L. Holte International Prize.