8. The Sumerians - Fall of the First Cities

Is this real? Am I actually watching a quality documentary about the Sumerian civilization that isn't talking about aliens? Sir, you have my everlasting gratitude.

Being an Iraqi whois late dad was from Nineveh in northern Iraq, I remember how keen my dad was on visiting museums he could all around the world and taking video footage of their collections of Iraqi artifacts and archeological findings. This has been one of the most beautifully narrated, well paced to the point of being harmonious and scientifically rich documentaries I have ever had the pleasure of watching. The fact that you covered the Semetic/ Summerian symbiotic history, which is the history of the ancestors of virtually every Iraqi so well is such a feat! My late Dad would would have been thrilled if he had the chance to watch it. The cradle of civilization as we know it deserved this level of professionalism and scientific accuracy. You have earnt a subscriber and my gratitude as a human being and an Iraqi. May you and your wonderful team be blessed always.

As an Iraqi citizen, I would really like to thank you for showing the true face of Iraq, full of civilization and history, contrary to what the media shows to everyone, that Iraq is a country of war and destruction. I would really like to thank you from the heart of a person who lives in Babylon Governorate (ancient Babylon).

Just discovered this channel. This is so rad. I’m about to devour all of these. Real life lore videos hit so different. Love the emotion and cinematic production.

I love that this has 17 million views after 1 year. In a world of 1 minute video clips, to see a 2 hour and 27 minute documentary flourish makes me happy.

Sumerian civilization is so old that Babalon had legends about it, that is truly mind-blowing.

26 million views after 3 years. Amazing work with no mention of aliens. Great thanks.

I have now found my personal safe place. A place to escape from my (often) troubled mind, the beautiful narration in these videos, and the highest obtainable quality (humanely possible) poured into them…for all of these things I want to say thank you. I can not articulate what reprieve you have granted me during a very frightening time. Lost family/friends/pets continuously mounting in my life, I am ashamed to admit how pathetic my life has become. It’s like I don’t exist. ANYWAYS, embarrassedly I say all that about myself. But my sentiment is one of praise for you or the team that produced this video and this content. You have given me a soothing/joyous escape while I battle against my problems. THANK YOU

I can only mourn that I had to turn 70 before I could see and learn this history. This was probably the best history lesson I have ever had.

I have studied history for nearly 60 years,read hundreds of books,watched hundreds of documentaries, and I have to say this is one of the absolute best. Near the end,I was brought to tears seeing the end of one of the earths earliest and greatest civilizations. Thank you for this great treat, and I hope you continue in this rewarding endeavor. from MO and NC USA

Who else woke up to this playing?

This was absolutely outstanding. Hard to believe it's available for free on YouTube. Very high quality.

As a historian myself, I must say this is splendidly done. Compliments on how the narrative is constructed, presented, and the various aspects of a civilization interconnected. The art of storytelling is the core of Historia, and you are very talented at it. Thank you for your hard work. Greetings from the homeland of the ancient Illirian people.

I am from Iraq and I am speechless because this documentary is very deep, informative, comprehensive and exciting I have read many books about the Sumerians but l couldn't get this amount of information and enjoyment. Thank you so much for your honest effort

3 years later and i still return to revisit this often. best sumer content hands down.

I’m an educator and geologist. I just want to express immense gratitude for what you are doing here. Paul, your approach to education and knowledge transfer is what we need more of. It’s very immersive. I am so appreciate that in every episode you discuss how the regional geology shaped a civilization. So few people understand how much the geology of this planet has influenced the shape of our entire species’s development. And as an educator I also appreciate how you give your audience frames of reference. I do this a lot because in geology we deal with Deep Time and for many people this is such a hard thing for them to grasp. In this episode, I admire how you help people understand the spans of time we’re dealing with here by using landmarks they will already have a feel for - a sort of time sense. How writing, for example, is essentially as old as the extinction of the wooly mammoth, or how Sumer was already considered ancient 1300 years before Stonehenge was ever built, and Stonehenge is older than Rome and the story of Jesus. I wish and wish and wish more educators used approaches like this when transferring knowledge. Thank you 🙏 so very much for all that your team does! This matters, even on those days when it might feel like it doesn’t.

As an Iraqi, we always speak of the ones who came before us. We always mention how great our country was once upon a time. We also mention how our land must be cursed because everytime the people rise, they fall and we fall very hard.. Thank you for this amazing and informational video.

To this very day this documentary from top to bottom is by far the best source of information related to the Sumerian history.

I am an Iraqi from southern Iraq. I was touched by the last clip and the lamentation over a civilized empire that lives a luxurious life. How did that era end and humanity still has not learned the lessons of wars and the resulting destruction of humanity? America entered.

I listen to this episode every night. It helps me sleep. Audio is all the same loudness, no dramatic sound effects, no blaring music. Its perfect. I need to watch your other videos during the day. If I listen to them at night I cant sleep because they're riveting. So I use this one because I know it so well.