The Origin of Sumerians
Author(s)
Metin Gunduz*
Affiliation(s)
Retired Physician, Diplomate ABEM (American Board of Emergency Medicine), Izmir, Turkey.
Retired Physician, Diplomate ABEM (American Board of Emergency Medicine), Izmir, Turkey.
ABSTRACT
Who were the Sumerians? Where did they originate? For those who are not familiar with this remarkable, resourceful and intelligent people, who not only invented writing but also established the true mythological foundations of all main religions of the world, simply put, they taught us almost everything. Four different points regarding the current known archeological evidence are evaluated separately, and the Sumerians’ unique and strongly sacred mythological beliefs related to the lapis lazuli stone and the myth’s origin are analyzed. The uniqueness of the lapis mine location in the Hindu Kush Mountains and the unique (fingerprint) trace element and other physical characteristics of this metamorphic sacred blue stone of the Sumerians are the primary points of focus. The only possible and provable location of their original homeland, “based on the analysis” is; between the Caspian Sea and the Hindu Kush and Kopet Mountains, which is in Turkmenistan. This analysis and conclusion are based on “multiple independent factors”: current archeological excavations, the uniqueness of metamorphic lapis lazuli as a stone and over 6000 years of lapis lazuli mining at a fixed location (absolutely necessary requirements for the origin of strong lapis mythology) and current credible biogeographic DNA evidence and the distribution of R1b haplogroup of “Arbins”, as recently described by Dr. Anatole A. Klyosov. The Sumerians initial migration presumably began with a persistent drought in their original homeland, that eventually forced them to abandon their home migrate and resettle in the southern fertile lands of the Middle East between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and eventually further south near the banks of Nile River in north east Africa.
Who were the Sumerians? Where did they originate? For those who are not familiar with this remarkable, resourceful and intelligent people, who not only invented writing but also established the true mythological foundations of all main religions of the world, simply put, they taught us almost everything. Four different points regarding the current known archeological evidence are evaluated separately, and the Sumerians’ unique and strongly sacred mythological beliefs related to the lapis lazuli stone and the myth’s origin are analyzed. The uniqueness of the lapis mine location in the Hindu Kush Mountains and the unique (fingerprint) trace element and other physical characteristics of this metamorphic sacred blue stone of the Sumerians are the primary points of focus. The only possible and provable location of their original homeland, “based on the analysis” is; between the Caspian Sea and the Hindu Kush and Kopet Mountains, which is in Turkmenistan. This analysis and conclusion are based on “multiple independent factors”: current archeological excavations, the uniqueness of metamorphic lapis lazuli as a stone and over 6000 years of lapis lazuli mining at a fixed location (absolutely necessary requirements for the origin of strong lapis mythology) and current credible biogeographic DNA evidence and the distribution of R1b haplogroup of “Arbins”, as recently described by Dr. Anatole A. Klyosov. The Sumerians initial migration presumably began with a persistent drought in their original homeland, that eventually forced them to abandon their home migrate and resettle in the southern fertile lands of the Middle East between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and eventually further south near the banks of Nile River in north east Africa.
Cite this paper
Gunduz, M. (2012). The Origin of Sumerians. Advances in Anthropology, 2, 221-223. doi: 10.4236/aa.2012.24024.
Gunduz, M. (2012). The Origin of Sumerians. Advances in Anthropology, 2, 221-223. doi: 10.4236/aa.2012.24024.
References
[1] Achilli, A., Olivieri, A., Pala, M. et al. (2007). Mitochondrial DNA variation of modern Tuscans supports the near eastern origin of Etruscans. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 80, 759-768.
doi:10.1086/512822 [2] Allessandro, R. (2011). Ion and electron microscopy for the characterization of materials of archaeological, historical and artistic interest: Determination of the provenance of lapis lazuli used for glyptic art. Ph.D. Thesis, Università Degli Studi di Torino, Torino.
http://dottorato.ph.unito.it/Studenti/Tesi/XXIII/re.pdf [3] Anatole, A. K. (2012). Ancient history of arbins, bearers of Haplogroup R1b, from CENTRAL Asia to Europe, 16,000 to 1500 years before Present. Advances in Anthropology, 2, 49-56.
doi:10.4236/aa.2012.22010 [4] Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [5] Campbell, J. (1988). Joseph campbell and the power of myth. Interviews by Bill Moyers. New York: Doubleday & Co. [6] Guisepi, R. A., & Willis, F. R. (1980). Ancient sumeria, The University of California, 1980-2003. URL (last checked 12 November 2012).
http://history-world.org/sumeria%20dress.htm [7] Harris, D. R., Gosden, C., & Charles, M. P. (1996). Jeitun: Recent excavations at an early Neolithic site in Southern Türkmenistan. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 62, 423-442. [8] Hiebert, F. T. (2003). Central Asian village at the dawn of civilization, excavation at anau, Türkmenistan. [9] Houghton, J. T. et al. (1990). Climate change: IPCC assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [10] Kramer, S. N. (1963). The sumerians: Their history, culture and character. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. [11] Kramer, S. N. (1998). Sumerian mythology: A study of spiritual and literary achievement in the third millennium BC. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. [12] Michalowski, P. (2006). The lives of the sumerian language. In S. L. Sanders (Ed.), Margins of writing, origins of cultures (pp. 159-184). Chicago, IL: Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. [13] Moorey, P. R. (1999). Ancient mesopotamian materials and industries: The archaeological evidence. Warsaw, IA: Eisenbrauns. [14] Paleoclimatology (2012). Study of ancient climates. URL (last checked 12 November 2012).
http://www.lakepowell.net/sciencecenter/paleoclimate.htm [15] Pellecchia, M., Negrini, R., Colli, L. et al. (2007). The mystery of etruscan origins: Novel clues from bos taurus mitochondrial DNA. Proceedings of Biological Science, 274, 1175-1179.
doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.0258 [16] Raphael, P. (1908). Explorations in Turkestan expedition of 1904 prehistoric civilizations of anau. URL (last checked 12 November 2012).
http://gwdspace.wrlc.org:8180/xmlui/handle/38989/c01gr167k59p [17] Sarianidi, V. I. (1994). Preface. In: F. T. Hiebert, Origins of the bronze age oasis civilization of central Asia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [18] Sarianidi, V. I. (1995). Soviet excavations in bactria: The bronze age. In G. Ligabue, & S. B. Salvatori (Eds.), An ancient oasis civilization from the sands of Afghanistan. Venice: Erizzo.
[1] Achilli, A., Olivieri, A., Pala, M. et al. (2007). Mitochondrial DNA variation of modern Tuscans supports the near eastern origin of Etruscans. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 80, 759-768.
doi:10.1086/512822 [2] Allessandro, R. (2011). Ion and electron microscopy for the characterization of materials of archaeological, historical and artistic interest: Determination of the provenance of lapis lazuli used for glyptic art. Ph.D. Thesis, Università Degli Studi di Torino, Torino.
http://dottorato.ph.unito.it/Studenti/Tesi/XXIII/re.pdf [3] Anatole, A. K. (2012). Ancient history of arbins, bearers of Haplogroup R1b, from CENTRAL Asia to Europe, 16,000 to 1500 years before Present. Advances in Anthropology, 2, 49-56.
doi:10.4236/aa.2012.22010 [4] Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [5] Campbell, J. (1988). Joseph campbell and the power of myth. Interviews by Bill Moyers. New York: Doubleday & Co. [6] Guisepi, R. A., & Willis, F. R. (1980). Ancient sumeria, The University of California, 1980-2003. URL (last checked 12 November 2012).
http://history-world.org/sumeria%20dress.htm [7] Harris, D. R., Gosden, C., & Charles, M. P. (1996). Jeitun: Recent excavations at an early Neolithic site in Southern Türkmenistan. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 62, 423-442. [8] Hiebert, F. T. (2003). Central Asian village at the dawn of civilization, excavation at anau, Türkmenistan. [9] Houghton, J. T. et al. (1990). Climate change: IPCC assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [10] Kramer, S. N. (1963). The sumerians: Their history, culture and character. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. [11] Kramer, S. N. (1998). Sumerian mythology: A study of spiritual and literary achievement in the third millennium BC. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. [12] Michalowski, P. (2006). The lives of the sumerian language. In S. L. Sanders (Ed.), Margins of writing, origins of cultures (pp. 159-184). Chicago, IL: Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. [13] Moorey, P. R. (1999). Ancient mesopotamian materials and industries: The archaeological evidence. Warsaw, IA: Eisenbrauns. [14] Paleoclimatology (2012). Study of ancient climates. URL (last checked 12 November 2012).
http://www.lakepowell.net/sciencecenter/paleoclimate.htm [15] Pellecchia, M., Negrini, R., Colli, L. et al. (2007). The mystery of etruscan origins: Novel clues from bos taurus mitochondrial DNA. Proceedings of Biological Science, 274, 1175-1179.
doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.0258 [16] Raphael, P. (1908). Explorations in Turkestan expedition of 1904 prehistoric civilizations of anau. URL (last checked 12 November 2012).
http://gwdspace.wrlc.org:8180/xmlui/handle/38989/c01gr167k59p [17] Sarianidi, V. I. (1994). Preface. In: F. T. Hiebert, Origins of the bronze age oasis civilization of central Asia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [18] Sarianidi, V. I. (1995). Soviet excavations in bactria: The bronze age. In G. Ligabue, & S. B. Salvatori (Eds.), An ancient oasis civilization from the sands of Afghanistan. Venice: Erizzo.