The Sumerians were referred to as “black-headed people” (or “black-headed ones”) in ancient texts, particularly in contrast to the Akkadians, who were often called the “red-haired” or “red-headed” people. This distinction is believed to relate to differences in their physical appearance and possibly their cultural idenтιтies.
The term “black-headed” is thought to refer to the Sumerians’ dark hair, which was a common trait among them, while “red-haired” may have described the lighter hair color of the Akkadians. This contrast highlights the ethnic and cultural diversity in ancient Mesopotamia, where various groups coexisted and interacted. The Sumerians, known for their early advancements in writing, architecture, and governance, laid the foundation for many aspects of civilization in the region, while the Akkadians later rose to prominence and formed one of the first empires in history.
Look at how the Sumerians depicted themselves in their art:
What do all the male figures have in common? Long wavy or curly hair down past their shoulders, and long, elaborately curled beards.
It might be that this is a way of depicting a god, king or priest rather than the way all Sumerian men styled their hair — peasants could probably not afford to spend as much time and money on having their hair and beard styled as aristocrats could, or keep it looking good when working in the fields. But either way, the frequency of depiction does suggest that long, elaborate hair was culturally important to the Sumerians.
It’s probably a fair bet that Sumerians in ancient times didn’t look too dissimilar to their present-day descendants:
Except, imagine those men with long curly hair down past their shoulders, and immense bushy beards. Long black hair, and big black beards.
Wouldn’t you be tempted to call them ‘black-headed people’? Especially if their neighbours in surrounding lands tended to wear their hair shorter, or even go clean-shaven.
Or alternatively, if the big beards and long curled hair were considered a sign of divine majesty and high status, the Sumerian boast of being the ùĝ saĝ gíg ga (black-headed people) could have been a way of saying, “Compared to you lowly mortals in other lands, our rulers are gods among men. Just look at their beards!”
After all, Sumeria was the world’s first civilisation — which also meant it was the first country in the world to have professional hair stylists. Kindagal was the Sumerian for ‘chief barber’; the chief barber of the city of Lagash in the 25th century was called Shuni-aldugud.
