Unas

"The first host of the Goa’uld."

- Teal'c

Unas is a race named by the Goa'uld that translates to 'the first ones' or 'the first race' or more specifically, the first race that they used as hosts before Ra discovered the Tau'ri on Earth. The Unas evolved on P3X-888, the same homeworld as the Goa'uld. The Unas are reptilian in nature, possessing regenerative abilities that a Goa'uld symbiote can enhance

History
An Unas first appeared in the episode "Thor's Hammer", in which Jack and Teal'c were trapped by a device called Thor's Hammer on the planet of Cimmeria and had to defend themselves from a Goa'uld infested Unas that had been trapped long previously. Teal'c explains that the Unas were the first hosts to the Goa'uld, before the parasitic species encountered human beings; humans proved to be a much more suitable host-race for the Goa'uld, as human bodies were easier to repair, and human hands and voices offered much greater expressive and tool-using abilities; the Unas as hosts were phased out. They next appeared in the episode "Demons", where a Goa'uld-infested Unas posed as a demon to a group of medieval Christians.

In the later episode "The First Ones", SG-1 discovered the Unas/Goa'uld homeworld, only referred to by the designation P3X-888. The Unas there lived a primitive lifestyle and feared open bodies of water where "wild" Goa'uld lived. They made special necklaces that provide a physical barrier to keep the Goa'uld from entering their bodies. Daniel encountered and befriended an Unas named Chaka there. He established a line of communication with him, and later helped him escape (and start a revolt) from a human based society that used the Unas as slave labor in "Beast of Burden". Chaka also helped SG-1 negotiate a treaty with the Unas of P3X-403 in "Enemy Mine". These Unas had been enslaved to mine naquadah for the Goa'uld. When Stargate Command sent a team to this world to mine, the native Unas felt threatened and began to war on them until they settled the matter.

It appears that only the Goa`uld system lord Sokar and the Asgard know the location of their homeworld.

Biology
Unas are an exceptionally tough and hardy species, and significantly stronger than human beings. A healthy Unas can keep fighting even after an entire magazine from a P90 has been emptied into its chest, although it will eventually die from such massive injuries. A Goa'uld possessed Unas is even more powerful, with exceptional regeneration abilities that allow them to survive and recover from multiple bullet wounds even without the aid of a sarcophagus, able to speak English and stay in long periods of sleep to survive for a thousand years. They have green blood.

Society
The Unas are a tribal society held together in close knit communities. ("Enemy Mine") Each tribe is led by a dominant alpha male leader.

The Unas speak their own language that varies between planets but is close enough to be understandable by Unas from other planets. Even on a planet where humans and Unas coexisted, the Unas have not been observed to speak any language other than their own. However, Goa'uld-possessed Unas have spoken other languages.

Technology
On a technological basis, the Unas have not gained the technological advancement that the Goa'uld developed. Instead, the Unas resort to using spears and other primitive forms of equipment. One of their notable developments are necklaces that prevent a Goa'uld from taking an Unas as a host as they have done in the past.

Although when Daniel Jackson brings Chaka to mediate a dispute between Unas and the SGC over mining of the Unas' world He is shown to be wearing very modern clothing and has lost his previously lurching gait which seems to show that the Unas are capable of becoming 'civilized' if given the proper opportunity.