A fragrant passage

Veena Shekar takes a trip back in time when frankincense was a prime commodity of trade, worth its weight in gold.

Civilisation is a way of life that generally surfaces when people started living in a group or society. Oswald Spengler said civilisations, like living things, are born, mature and die. Some cultures are eternally vibrant because of their intense roots. Toynbee believed that civilisations arise where the environment challenges the people and when they respond to it.

Agriculture was a major step in the development of most of these civilisations. Agriculture enabled people to settle in one area and to accumulate a food surplus that allowed them to pursue tasks besides growing food. They made their pottery, built houses, chose their kings and devised systems such as religion and morality and began to trade with other cultures.

Mesopotamia was a linchpin of ancient international trade. The fertile soil between the Tigris and Euphrates produced a surplus of food, but did not support forests to produce timber. So they were forced to go abroad and trade their food for other raw materials. The Indus valley people provided lumber (hard and soft wood) and other finished goods to Mesopotamia.

Archaeology reveals a number of seals, pottery and other kindred artifacts found along the Indus-Saraswati river and many Indus valley seals in the Tigres-Euphrates valley proving that a strong trade link existed between these two civilisations.

Trade between the Indus valley and Mesopotamia was facilitated by a small portion of land on the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula known today as the Sultanate of Oman.

This piece of land has one of the oldest civilisations (3rd Millennium BC) in the Arabian Peninsula having notable periods of merit in the ancient world and in medieval times. The Dhofar region, in southern Oman, is where our frankincense story began.

For many centuries, Oman was on the threshold of trade routes linking Mesopotamia and the Indus valley 'playing the role of a middleman' until one day it became of paramount importance to the ancient world because Oman was one of the few fortunate spots where Frankincense, the precious material was available.

Frankincense is an aromatic resin from spindly trees, deemed essential for a host of uses ranging from religious, to cosmetic, to medicinal.

An expedition led by Dr Juris Zarins began in 1991, keeping the maps of Claudius Ptolemy, the Alexandrian geographer of the 2nd century AD as its guide.

They came across an "Iron age" fortress at Shisur in Yemen and Zarins believes that Shisurwas a key trading centre that linked Dhofar to eastern Arabia and early Mesopotamian Civilisation.

Pliny the Elder, in the 1st century AD wrote about a trade route in Arabia Felix that was marked by 8 fortresses or rest stations. Zarins and his team claim that the fortress they found in Oman is the last of the set. They have also found two intermediate fortresses.

In this area and in several others, Zarins discovered pottery, red painted ceramic from Persia, Triliths and megaliths route markers that clearly discerned a constant traffic mentioned in classical sources. Although Zarins believes "the city of Ubar" to be a myth, exploration has not ceded.

Why was Frankincense, an inconspicuous material, held as a coveted commodity in the ancient world? There seems to have been a number of reasons as to why it was valued so highly.

Uses of frankincense

Frankincense grows only in southern Oman, Yemen and Somalia. The incense in these regions burn well because of their natural oil content and has medicinal uses. These two factors plus its relative scarcity made it an extremely sought after substance in the ancient world.

According to Christian belief, the three wise men who travelled to Bethlehem to worship the Christ child brought gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts. The fact that these two materials were accorded a place with gold in the biblical account is no doubt a measure of the value of the substance to the ancient people.

The ancient world also believed that the smoke of incense carried their prayers to heaven. No matter what religious observance was celebrated, incense had to be burned. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote that at the funeral of Nero's wife, an entire year's harvest of frankincense was burned.

In Egypt, frankincense was used for all practical purposes. It was used during mummification for embalming corpses. Among the Romans, frankincense was not confined to religious ceremonials. It was also used in state occasions and in domestic life.

The 'kohl' used by Egyptian women to beautify their eyes was comprised of frankincense. In today's context of aromatherapy, frankincense oil is valued for its effect on the respiratory system. It can be used in steam inhalations, baths and massages for catarrh, bronchitis and coughs.

The oil is also recommended for sufferers of asthma. Baths and massages with this essential oil can relieve one from body aches. It is also believed to be a good remedy for grumpiness, negative moods, lack of confidence and emotional stress.

The inhabitants of Dhofar use olibanum in their drinking water as it is thought to have diuretic properties and makes the water cool during summer. The incense burners are also made locally by village craftsmen and are exquisite pieces of handicraft. The Omani women prepare clay burners in bright shades and sell them in the market.

Today petroleum has taken the place of copper and frankincense as the source of Oman's wealth. Development has led to the destruction of many historical and ancient sites some even before they had been identified.

But the history of frankincense has not ended. It still exists in the local souq (market) where it is available to locals and tourists. Export is limited to individual companies to revive the ancient trade. But it is an invincible part of each and every Arab's life. No day breaks without a whiff of the incredible incense.

Courtesy: Deccan Herald