Would the Ancient Astronaut Theory of the Anunnaki Remain as Persuasive Without the Sumerian King List?

Hello, regarding this question, I can share my thoughts. It's quite interesting because it hits right at a key point of the ancient astronaut theory.

My conclusion is: If the Sumerian King List didn't exist, the ancient astronaut theory of the Anunnaki would certainly still exist, but its "persuasiveness" and "impact" would be significantly diminished. It probably wouldn't be as popular in certain circles as it is now.

You can think of it this way: the Sumerian King List is like a "central pillar" for this theory. Without it, the whole structure wouldn't necessarily collapse, but it would definitely wobble badly.

Let me break down for you why this King List is so important.

The Sumerian King List: The "Trump Card Evidence" of Ancient Astronaut Theory

First, we need to understand what the Sumerian King List actually is.

Simply put, it's a list written in cuneiform on clay tablets, recording the kings of various dynasties in Sumer (and surrounding regions) along with their reign lengths.

It sounds pretty ordinary, right? But its "explosive point" is this: The King List divides the kings into two parts: "before the Great Flood" and "after the Great Flood."

After the Great Flood, the reign lengths, while still long, fall within a range understandable to normal humans – decades, maybe a century.
Before the Great Flood, however, the numbers are outrageously exaggerated! The list names only 8 kings, but their combined reign length totals a staggering 241,200 years! That's an average of over 30,000 years per king!

Anyone with common sense knows these numbers can't be real. Mainstream historians view this as mythological narrative, where the numbers are symbolic, representing the divine nature and immense power of those kings, meant to convey "divine kingship" and the glory of that era.

But proponents of the ancient astronaut theory, like Zecharia Sitchin, found the perfect entry point here. Their explanation is:

"These 'kings' weren't humans at all; they were the Anunnaki from the planet Nibiru! Of course, aliens would have much longer lifespans than Earthlings, so ruling for tens of thousands of years is perfectly normal!"

See? This explanation is simple, blunt, and incredibly impactful. It transforms seemingly absurd mythological numbers into "ironclad proof" supporting the idea that "aliens visited Earth." For many ordinary people interested in mysteries, this explanation is far more exciting and intriguing than "symbolic meaning."

Therefore, the role of the Sumerian King List is that it provides seemingly inexplicable "hard data," giving the ancient astronaut theory a quantifiable, most sensational argument.

If the King List Disappeared, What Would Remain of the Theory?

Suppose we erase the Sumerian King List from history. What cards would Anunnaki theory proponents still hold?

They would still have several "pieces of evidence," but these are generally "softer," relying more heavily on subjective interpretation:

Interpretation of Myths: For example, the Sumerian creation epic Enuma Elish, which mentions gods creating humans to serve them. Proponents would say: "See! This is the record of the Anunnaki creating humans via genetic engineering to be miners for their gold!"
Interpretation of Etymology: They forcibly interpret the word "Anunnaki" as "those who came down from the heavens." (In reality, academia generally agrees it means "offspring of Anu").
Interpretation of Artifacts: Claiming that figures on some Sumerian reliefs depict astronauts wearing helmets and goggles, or that certain symbols represent rockets or diagrams of the solar system.
Interpretation of Technology: Asserting that the sudden emergence of Sumerian knowledge in astronomy, mathematics, etc., was imparted by the Anunnaki.

See? Without the King List, all this evidence remains at the level of "it looks like to me" or "I believe it is." You can say the figure on the relief is an astronaut; I can say it's just a priest wearing a special hat. You can say the myth is history; I can say it's just ancient imagination. Everyone has their own interpretation.

But the "241,200 years" figure on the Sumerian King List is written there in black and white. It instantly makes a vague theory concrete and quantifiable. It's like arguing about whether the Loch Ness Monster exists. After debating based on eyewitness reports, someone suddenly produces an "X-ray of the monster" (even if it might be fake) – the impact is completely different.

Conclusion

So, back to your question:

Without the Sumerian King List, the ancient astronaut theory of the Anunnaki would still exist, as it's built on a whole system of reinterpreting Sumerian civilization. However, it would lose its most powerful, attention-grabbing, and easily spreadable "explosive point."

The appeal of the theory would shift from:

"Wow! There's evidence showing aliens ruled Earth for 241,200 years!"

Down to:

"Hmm... it seems some ancient myths and reliefs could be interpreted as evidence of alien visitation..."

The former is obviously far more compelling than the latter. The Sumerian King List is like fitting this theory with a "turbocharger," allowing it to race ahead in pseudo-archaeology and occult circles. Without this engine, it's just an ordinary cart powered by interpretation and imagination.