Magan (civilization)
Magan (also Makkan[1]) was an ancient region which was referred to in Sumerian cuneiform texts of around 2300 BC and existed to 550 BC as a source of copper and diorite for Mesopotamia. There is also evidence to support the idea that the Magan people were actually Sumerian. As discussed by The Archeology Fund founded by Juris Zarins, “The Sumerian cities of southern Mesopotamia were closely linked to the Gulf. Archaeologists and historians have linked sites in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar to the Sumerian geographical term of Dilmun. Oman, was most likely the Sumerian Magan.” [2]
Location[]
Modern archaeological and geological evidence places Magan in the area currently encompassed by the United Arab Emirates and Oman.[3][4]
In the past, historians had debated possible locations, including the region of Yemen known as Ma'in,[5] in the south of Upper Egypt, in Nubia or the Sudan, and others as part of today's Iran and Pakistan.Other Possible locations for the Magan include Bahrain, Qatar, and the geographical location known as Dilmun.[6] The latter location, specifically in the neighborhood of coastal Baluchistan, has been suggested on account of the similarity between Baluchistan's historical name, "Makran", and "Makkan", a variant of Magan.[7]
History[]
The first Sumerian mentions of a land of Magan (Sumerian