Page:History of Early Iran.pdf/33

Rh There is some evidence leading to the belief that a protonegroid population once extended westward from India along the shores of the Persian Gulf. Individuals of that group seem to be portrayed on seventh century reliefs of an Assyrian king. Greek authors speak of "Ethiopians" in the southeast of the land; their modern descendants possess copper skins, straight hair, and round skulls. It is, however, safe to say that these peoples never constituted an important or a large element in the population.

So far as it is possible to determine, in ancient times there were longheaded races in Iran preceding the Nordic peoples. The basis for this belief is found in the appearance, in Mesopotamia, of a brown Eurafrican type of man. Our present evidence concerning him is indeed scanty, but seems to suggest a remote physical connection with India. It is possible that these longheads themselves were Sumerians, or were related to them, for it has been said that one can still