Imagine uncovering secrets buried for over 4,000 years, only to find that the warnings from one of humanity’s earliest civilizations feel eerily relevant today.

With the help of advanced artificial intelligence, researchers have unlocked the hidden wisdom of newly discovered Sumerian clay tablets, revealing a world shaped by cosmic events, divine intervention, and repeating cycles of destruction and renewal.

These texts, long dismissed as myth, now appear to be urgent messages from the dawn of civilization.

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The Sumerians, who emerged in Mesopotamia around 5,000 years ago, are credited with inventing writing, the wheel, and advanced mathematics.

Their rapid rise to prominence has puzzled historians for centuries.

According to their own records, this sudden leap was no accident.

How AI is unlocking ancient texts — and could rewrite history

The Sumerians believed their civilization was catalyzed by divine beings from the sky—the Anunnaki—who gifted them with intelligence and creativity.

These celestial beings were said to have mingled their essence with humans, creating a divine-human hybrid capable of remarkable achievements.

The Sumerians were also among the first astronomers, meticulously tracking celestial bodies and cosmic cycles.

They believed the heavens held the key to humanity’s fate, with disruptions in the sky—red skies, erratic stars, and solar dimming—causing disaster on Earth.

Their texts describe catastrophic events, such as a devastating drought 4,200 years ago that aligns with modern geological evidence of a climate crisis.

Cuneiform: How AI is revealing the secrets within the world's oldest texts  | New Scientist

These accounts suggest the Sumerians were not only documenting history but also observing and interpreting cosmic phenomena with a sophistication that challenges modern assumptions about ancient civilizations.

Using AI, researchers have been able to decode these texts with unprecedented accuracy, uncovering new layers of meaning.

The technology has revealed not only the content of the writings but also the emotional state of the scribes who created them.

Cuneiform: How AI is revealing the secrets within the world's oldest texts  | New Scientist

Micro tremors in the strokes of certain letters suggest fear, urgency, or even illness, turning these ancient texts into intimate records of human struggle.

The Sumerians’ view of history as a cyclical process of creation, destruction, and renewal is particularly striking.

Unlike the modern belief in continuous progress, they saw civilization as fragile and subject to forces beyond human control.

Their warnings about cosmic and earthly catastrophes—ranging from droughts to celestial disruptions—resonate with contemporary concerns about climate change and environmental instability.

The Sumerian King List, another puzzling artifact, adds to the mystery.

Cuneiform: How AI is revealing the secrets within the world's oldest texts  | New Scientist

It records the reigns of early kings lasting tens of thousands of years, raising questions about whether these figures were symbolic, divine, or something else entirely.

Some interpretations suggest these rulers were descendants of the Anunnaki, further blurring the line between myth and reality.

The Sumerians’ legacy is a dual message of brilliance and caution.

They Just Translated Ancient Sumerian Texts With AI — And What It Reveals  Is Very Bad

They left behind the foundations of civilization—writing, law, astronomy, and more—but also warned of the cyclical nature of history and the dangers of neglecting the cosmic and environmental forces that shape our world.

As AI continues to decode their ancient texts, the Sumerians’ voices grow louder, urging us to heed their warnings before history repeats itself.