Solange Ashby


Solange Ashby is an Egyptologist, Nubiologist and archaeologist, whose expertise focuses on language and religion in ancient Egypt, and as of 2020, Ashby was the only Black American working in Egyptology.

Career

Ashby studied for a BA in Intercultural Studies at Bard College at Simon's Rock. She graduated with a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Her doctoral research took place at the temple of Philae in Egypt, as well as excavating at the Kushite cemetery of El-Kurru in Sudan. Her research examined the inscriptions, including graffiti, made by Kushite visitors, who travelled to the Egyptian temples in Lower Nubia.
In January 2021 she is due to take up a position in the Department of Classics and Ancient Studies at Barnard College, New York, as an Adjunct Professor. She has previously taught at the Catholic University’s Institute of Christian Oriental Research, the American Research Centre in Egypt and the American University in Washington.

Publications

In 2018, Ashby feautred in a documentary directed by Tariq Grant, which looked at many aspects of Ancient Egyptian civilisation, including its barter-based economic system. In 2020, she featured in the film series Hapi, which focused on the role of economics in civilisation. As of 2020, Ashby was the only Black American working in Egyptology.