Egypt’s officials have banished a team of Dutch archaeologists from working in the country following a controversial ‘Kemet’ exhibition likening ancient Egyptian figures to modern American artists. The focus of the exhibition ‘Kemet. Egypt in hip-hop, jazz, soul & funk’ is on ancient Egypt influencing primarily black musicians such as Nas, Beyoncé and Rihanna. The ban, which was reported by Dutch News and the BBC, posits that the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden found its team banned from excavating in Egypt due to the content of the exhibition ‘falsifying’ history. According to the BBC, the museum stated that a senior Egyptian antiquities official communicated in an email that it was to discontinue excavating in the site of Saqqara after almost 50 years. “The influence of ancient Egypt and Nubia is evident in the works of a multitude of musicians of African descent, including icons of jazz such as Miles Davis and Sun Ra and contemporary artists such as Beyoncé and Rihanna,” the museum’s description of the exhibition reads. “[…] Many artists of African descent are keen to stress the recognition of ancient Egypt as an African culture. Through their…
