Sumerians

[Archangelos]

Does anyone know of some good sites on the sumerians?

[Dan]

This is a great link,trust me.

[Timo]

Intro to Sumerians
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/SUMER.HTM

Brief overview
http://www.wordlookup.net/su/sumerians.html

Online there is not much different information. They are overshadowed by the semitic cultures of mesopotamia. Best information is found in books.

[Archangelos]

Thanks guys, ive noticed something when it comes to the place of origin for the sumerians. Some claim they came from Central Asia, while others have said Asia Minor. Does anyone have anything to say about this?

[Timo]

I tend to think they came from around C. Asia.

[Graeme]

The Sumerians did not speak a semitic language so they couldn't have come from the south. It is believed they entered the valley of the two rivers from the north from the mountains. Whether it was from Anatolia or the Caucasus mountains I don't know. My opinion favours the Caucasus region not exactly Central Asia.

[Archangelos]

Timo, why Central Asia? Why not Asia Minor?

[Dan]

I think that far more interesting issue is what were they racially.

[Timo]

Originally Posted by Archangelos

Timo, why Central Asia? Why not Asia Minor?

When I say central Asian, I think of just east of the caspian sea. Asia Minor at the time was occupied by people, the sumerians don't share a language even comparable to natives of the region. It is like no other tounge we know of, and they came to the region of mesopotamia with already the knowledge well above that of any people in the region or in Asia Minor. They knew already how to settle, have the agricultural process, etc. I think they already had a society of some sort, as of yet undiscovered, in the River valleys of ancient Asia, which at the time were undergoing great desertification due to climate change. I think they were related to proto-IE peoples who evolved not far from central asia (north and or east of caspian sea, some say north of black sea). There are similarities with some IE languages and Sumerian, http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi37.htm - though it isn't prominent enough to provide an exact link. http://www.sumerian.org/ (sumerian language page)
It's just guesses, they are the most mysterious people in the history of the world and we owe them our civilization. They started it all, they were the first. We still can only guess at who they were, however. I tend to think them migrating from a further place, than just Asia Minor is more likely. Why did the other peoples in Asia Minor not have the same knowledge and language as the Sumerians, if they came from the same place. Ideas spread from a source, the source was Sumeria, yet most acheologist would tell you that they arrived in the area and began their civilization in record time, thus it likely means they had the knowledge before they got there.

[Timo]

Originally Posted by Dan

I think that far more interesting issue is what were they racially.

Nothing we would know by our terms, I think. But I think they'd closely resemble Alpines.