Armenoid race


In the discredited racial anthropology of the early 20th century, the Armenoid type was a subtype of the Caucasian race. According to anthropologist Carleton Coon, the countries of the northern part of Western Asia, namely Anatolia, the Caucasus, Iraq, Iran, and the Levant, were considered the center of distribution of the Armenoid race.

History of term

The term was used by Austrian anthropologist Felix von Luschan and Eugen Petersen in the 1889 book Reisen in Lykien, Milyas und Kibyratis.
Prominent Nazi and racial theorist Hans F. K. Günther used the term 'Near Eastern race' to describe the Armenoid type, and ascribed Near Eastern characteristics to several contemporary peoples, including: Armenians, Jews, Greeks, Georgians, Iranians, Assyrians, Syrians, and Turks. Günther regarded Jews as people of multiple racial origins but defined the Near Eastern race as their major basis, and described the race's characteristics such as its "commercial spirit" and as being "artful traders" who had strong psychological manipulation capacities that helped their trade, as well as being known to exploit people. Günther's conception has been criticized for pseudoscientific analysis. Nazis historically identified Jews as within the Armenoid type in the name of the Near Eastern race.
The Nazis never fully clarified their racial doctrine, and Günther' s work was never canonised or entirely accepted even by the SS, which switching freely between race definitions.

Physiognomy

wrote that the Armenoid racial type is very similar to the Dinaric race, most probably due to racial mixture with the Mediterraneans and the Alpines. The only difference is that Armenoids have a slightly darker pigmentation. He described the Armenoid as a sub-race of the Caucasoid race. Armenoids were said to be found throughout Eurasia. However, the largest concentrations occurred within Armenia, Transcaucasia, Iran, and Mesopotamia.
Armenoids were medium to tall, average height being 167 cm, usually with dark brown or black hair, wavy to curly in form, tawny white to light-brown skin color, large round eyes that were usually dark brown; a round, brachycephalic head shape with a straight backing , high cheekbones and medium chin prominence, thick eyebrows, abundant hair on body and face, prominent nose, moderately thick and full lips.. Lips were thin, and noses were often aquiline. Armenians are as a rule thin-lipped, with medium chin prominence, a palpable bilateral cleft in the chin, and flaring gonial angles. This racial type was believed to be prevalent among some Armenians, Assyrians, and northern and central Iraqis.

Distribution

The Armenoid race type was claimed to exist to the west and north of the Arabid race, and encompasses Armenians, Georgians, Assyrians, Jews, Syrians, Maronites, Druze, Greeks, Turks, Kurds, Iranians, Arab Israelis, Yazidis, among other peoples of the Middle East region. It was found in ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, and Cypriots.