The port of Al Baleed (southern Oman), the trade in franckincense and its coveted treasures

• Authors: Pavan, Alexia

Abstracts

EN

Along the coast of the Arabian peninsula, in the southernmost region of the Sultanate of Oman, lies the ancient port of Al-Baleed, known in Medieval times as Zafar. Placed in a strategic position for its geographical location, climate, availability of water and abundance of fodder, its long history dates back to the Bronze Age. The settlement reached its peak in Mediaeval times when it was a (a hub?) of international trade along the Indian Ocean. Many commodities were exported from the region or passed through the port. Among them a number of regional products such as: myrrh, dragon’s blood, aloe and madder, the most important being, however, frankincense and Arabian horses. Frankincense trade in Mediaeval times is barely studied despite its importance and great incomes generated by this trade during the period. The paper will present a general overview of the site of Al Baleed and its importance in the trade of frankincense, mainly in relation with the Far-eastern market with an overview of the coveted treasures from the region of Dhofar.

Keywords

EN

Al Baleed; Dhofar; frankincense; Indian Ocean trade; resins

• Publisher: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
• Journal: Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean
• Year: 2020
• Volume: 29(1)

Dates

published

2020-12-19

Contributors

author

Pavan, Alexia

Identifiers

DOI

10.31338/uw.2083-537x.pam29.1.13