▁Pre history ▁and ▁occurred ▁at ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁scales , ▁including ▁over land ▁and ▁mar itime ▁commerce , ▁diplom acy , ▁imm igration , ▁invasion ▁and ▁deport ation " ▁ ▁Contempor ary ▁gen etic ▁studies ▁show ▁much ▁greater ▁levels ▁of ▁sub - S ah aran ▁African ▁ancest ry ▁in ▁the ▁current - day ▁populations ▁of ▁southern ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁northern ▁Egypt . ▁ ▁Specific ▁current - day ▁controvers ies ▁Today ▁the ▁issues ▁regarding ▁the ▁race ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians ▁are ▁" tr ouble d ▁waters ▁which ▁most ▁people ▁who ▁write ▁about ▁ancient ▁Egypt ▁from ▁within ▁the ▁main stream ▁of ▁scholar ship ▁avoid ." ▁The ▁debate , ▁therefore , ▁takes ▁place ▁mainly ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁sphere ▁and ▁tends ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁specific ▁issues . ▁ ▁T ut ank ham un ▁Several ▁sch ol ars , ▁including ▁Di op , ▁have ▁claimed ▁that ▁T ut ank ham un ▁was ▁black , ▁and ▁have ▁protest ed ▁that ▁attempted ▁reconst ru ctions ▁of ▁T ut ank ham un ' s ▁fa cial ▁features ▁( as ▁dep icted ▁on ▁the ▁cover ▁of ▁National ▁Geographic ▁magazine ) ▁have ▁represented ▁the ▁king ▁as ▁" to o ▁white ". ▁Among ▁these ▁writers ▁was ▁Chan cell or ▁Williams , ▁who ▁argued ▁that ▁King ▁T ut ank ham un , ▁his ▁parents , ▁and ▁grand par ents ▁were ▁black . ▁ ▁For ens ic ▁artists ▁and ▁physical ▁anth rop olog ists ▁from ▁Egypt , ▁France , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁independently ▁created ▁b ust s ▁of ▁T ut