How do mainstream archaeological and historical circles view the accounts of the Anunnaki?

Okay, let's talk about this topic. You might come across a lot of really cool, mind-blowing, and highly speculative stories about the Anunnaki online, but the view of mainstream archaeology and history is actually very consistent and vastly different from those stories.

To put it simply, in a nutshell:

In the eyes of mainstream academia, the Anunnaki are a group of deities in Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, not visitors from an alien planet.

Below, I'll break it down for you in detail, trying to make it as easy to understand as possible.

I. What are the "Anunnaki" in the View of Mainstream Academia?

You can imagine them as the "divine council" or pantheon in the minds of the Sumerians, similar to the Olympian gods in Greek mythology (Zeus, Hera, etc.) or the celestial deities in Chinese mythology.

• Identity and Status: In Sumerian mythology, the meaning of the term "Anunnaki" is somewhat complex; its literal meaning is roughly "princely offspring of Anu" (An meaning sky/heaven, Ki often interpreted as earth or offspring in this context). They held a very high status and were generally considered the most important and powerful group of gods in the mythological system. For example, major deities like Anu (the sky god), Enlil (the god of wind and atmosphere), and Enki (the god of water) were all classified as Anunnaki.
• Responsibilities: Their duties involved determining the fate of humanity and the world. In Sumerian creation myths (such as the Enuma Elish) and epic poems (such as the Epic of Gilgamesh), the Anunnaki played roles in creating the world, sending the Great Flood, and judging the dead. Sometimes, they were supreme arbiters; other times, much like the Greek gods, they exhibited emotions like jealousy and anger, and engaged in conflicts.
• Source of Evidence: Scholars' understanding of the Anunnaki comes entirely from the tens of thousands of cuneiform clay tablets unearthed through archaeological excavations. These tablets record Sumerian myths, epics, prayers, and ritual texts. By interpreting these primary sources, scholars have constructed our current understanding of the Sumerian mythological system.

To draw an analogy: When we study Journey to the West today, we say that Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) is a mythical character who possesses 72 transformations and can travel 108,000 li with a single somersault. We don't believe that a real monkey historically stormed the Celestial Palace just because it's written in the book. Scholars view the Anunnaki in the same way; they are part of Sumerian culture and religious belief, mythical characters, not real historical figures.

II. So, Where Did the "Aliens" Theory Circulating Online Come From?

The main source of this theory is a popular author and independent researcher named Zecharia Sitchin. In the 1970s, he published a series of books, including the well-known The 12th Planet.

His core arguments are:

1. The Anunnaki were extraterrestrials from a planet called "Nibiru."
2. They came to Earth approximately 450,000 years ago with the purpose of mining gold to repair the atmosphere of their home planet.
3. Because the mining was too arduous, they used genetic engineering to modify early humans on Earth, creating Homo sapiens to serve as their slave laborers.
4. Sumerian myths are not myths at all, but rather historical records of these alien activities.

This story sounds incredibly appealing because it interweaves grand themes like mythology, extraterrestrials, and human origins.

III. Why Does Mainstream Academia Completely Reject Sitchin's Theory?

Archaeologists and historians consider Sitchin's theories to be "pseudo-archaeology" or "pseudo-history" for several compelling reasons:

• Fundamental Translation Errors: This is the most critical point. All experts in Sumerian and Akkadian languages (globally) unanimously agree that Sitchin's translations of cuneiform texts are erroneous, and in some cases, outright fabricated. He forcibly translated words meaning "god," "sky," or "shining" into "rockets" or "spaceships"; he distorted mythological descriptions into accounts of genetic engineering or space travel. To professional scholars, this is akin to insisting that the Chinese word "lóng" (dragon) actually means "dinosaur"—they are completely different concepts.

• Disregard for Mythological Context: Sitchin treated myths as literal historical records, completely ignoring their religious, cultural, and symbolic meanings. Mythological stories often use exaggeration and symbolism to explain the origin of the world, natural phenomena, and social rules. For instance, the Great Flood story, found in the myths of many civilizations, is typically interpreted as reverence for natural disasters and a metaphor for divine punishment, rather than a literal global cleansing operation carried out by aliens.

• Lack of Any Archaeological Evidence: If extraterrestrials had indeed conducted large-scale gold mining on Earth using high technology, there should be archaeological traces. For example: tools far beyond contemporary technological capabilities, non-terrestrial metals, remnants of massive mining pits, alien remains, etc. However, after hundreds of years of archaeological excavations, not a single piece of material evidence supporting the "alien mining" theory has been discovered. All findings are consistent with the natural development of human civilization itself.

• Unsupported by Astronomy: Sitchin's "Nibiru" planet supposedly has a 3,600-year elliptical orbit. Modern astronomy, through precise calculations and observations, can detect even very tiny objects at the edge of the solar system, yet there is still no evidence to suggest the existence of such a massive planet. Its presence would significantly disturb the orbits of other planets within the solar system, which would be easily observable.

Summary

So, the next time you encounter stories about the Anunnaki creating humanity, you can certainly view them as excellent science fiction. They blend ancient mythology with modern technological fantasy, making them interesting and imaginative. However, from a rigorous academic perspective, these stories are completely disconnected from actual history and archaeological findings.

Mainstream academia prefers to reconstruct the real lives, thoughts, and beliefs of the Sumerians step-by-step through solid evidence and rigorous logic, rather than using a simple "alien" explanation for everything.