Anunnaki and the Sumerian King List

This topic represents a major concept within the field of ancient astronaut theory and pseudoarchaeology, intersecting genuine historical artifacts with modern extraterrestrial interpretations. It is not a single film, book, or brand, but rather a subject of study and speculation popularized by various authors and researchers.

The core idea posits that the Anunnaki, a group of deities from ancient Mesopotamian mythology, were in fact advanced extraterrestrial beings who visited Earth in antiquity. The Sumerian King List, an actual ancient manuscript, is often cited as a key piece of evidence to support this theory.

Who Are the Anunnaki?

• Mythological Origin: In the mythologies of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians, the Anunnaki (or Anunna) were a pantheon of deities. Their name is often translated as "those who from heaven to earth came." They were considered gods of the heavens and the underworld who played a crucial role in the creation of humanity and the establishment of civilization.

• Modern Ancient Astronaut Interpretation: Popularized by author Zecharia Sitchin in his Earth Chronicles series, this theory reimagines the Anunnaki as biological extraterrestrials from a hypothetical planet in our solar system called Nibiru. According to this narrative, the Anunnaki came to Earth approximately 450,000 years ago to mine gold, which they needed to repair their home planet's atmosphere. To perform this labor, they genetically engineered an existing hominid (Homo erectus) to create a slave species: Homo sapiens, or modern humans.

What is the Sumerian King List?

The Sumerian King List is a genuine archaeological artifact, an ancient cuneiform text recorded in the Sumerian language. Several versions of the list exist, the most famous being the Weld-Blundell Prism, housed at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

• Content: The list chronicles the reigns of the kings of Sumer. It is unique because it combines what appear to be mythological rulers with those who are known to have been historical.
• Key Feature: The most striking characteristic of the list is the impossibly long reigns attributed to the earliest, "antediluvian" (pre-flood) kings. The text often begins with the line, "After the kingship descended from heaven..."

Antediluvian Rulers from the Sumerian King List (Example)

The following table showcases rulers from the period before the great flood described in Mesopotamian legend, whose reigns are measured in sars (units of 3,600 years) and ners (units of 600 years).

The Connection: Ancient Astronauts and Divine Rulers

Proponents of the ancient astronaut theory connect these two elements in the following ways:

1. Literal History: They argue that the Sumerian King List is not a myth but a literal historical document.
2. Long Lifespans: The extraordinary lifespans of the first kings are interpreted not as mythological exaggerations but as the actual lifespans of the Anunnaki "gods," who ruled humanity directly before delegating power to human "demigod" kings.
3. Kingship from Heaven: The phrase "kingship descended from heaven" is taken as a direct reference to the Anunnaki bestowing the right to rule from their celestial home.
4. Flood Narrative: The list includes a great flood after which kingship "descended from heaven" again, with subsequent rulers having progressively shorter (though still very long) lifespans. This is seen as a factual account of a global cataclysm and the re-establishment of civilization under Anunnaki guidance.

Core Texts and Proponents

While the concept is discussed widely, it was primarily shaped and popularized by a single author and his work.