Armenian Highland – Anthropological Data

Russian anthropologist V.V.Bounyak in his book ”Grania Annenica”· (Annenian Granium, P.H.) 1927, wrote: “Armenoid type (race) is known from the most early time and has wide dispersal in all regions of Mesopotamia, beginning from its South part up to source of Tigris and Euphrates, and further until West end of Anatolian peninsula, from the one side, and until inside regions of Iran – from the other side.

There were not any other race elements in the oldest population of Anterior Asia. Formation of this type was finished in Anterior Asia before emersion of European and Asian tribes (Thracians, Ellines, Turks) who apparently had not made an influence on anthropological type of population and were dissolvedin stable formed Armenoid race”.

Other anthropologists Ya.Ya. Roginnskiy and M.G. Levin in the book “Antropology”, 1978, wrote: “As it is known, Armenian Highland is one of the places on Earth where the process of formation of present man took place. Apparently in Neolithic time the Armenoid race of man was fonned in Anterior Asia and Caucasus.

This is proved by results of excavations in Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and other regions. At IV millennium BC and, perhaps earlier they had abruptly expressed features of Europeoid race”. N.H. Cochar in the book “Anthropology of Annenians”, 1989, wrote: ”Time restoration for •.• Annenian population showed that Annenoid race was already fonned at the minimum 9000 years ago ••. in Annenian Highland and then propagated to the territories of Anterior Asia and Caucasus”.

Mentioned M. M. Zourikkian tells about the opinion of J. Mallbert who, based on archaeological data, wrote in his book “The Oldest Civilizations of Old East” that prehistoric culture arose in Turkish Mesopotamia (must be Armenian Highland, P.H.) and in South part of Anatolia (i.e, in Kilikia, P.H.).

The Neolithic civilization discovered in Chattal Hyouk he calls ”the supernova in pale galaxy”. In Soviet Encyclopedic Vocabulary (Moscow, 1987) it is said: “Armenoid race – Anterior Asia race, which accentuated by some anthropologists inside the big Europeoid race for the population of Armenia, adjoined part of Small Asia and also Syria. Peculiarities: abundant growth of beard of males, cambered back of nose, almost flat nape”.

An extract from the book “Armenians and Ancient Armenia” by Paris Herouni