'THE GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF DHUFAR PROVINCE, MUSCAT AND OMAN' [‎50r] (89/96)

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APPENDIX
Archaeology
The mention of the word ‘ frankincense ’ introduces an atmosphere both of
fraerance and ancient Arabia. The use of frankincense as an inflammable resin for
incense was well known in the time of Moses, 1500 B.C., and there is every reason to
believe that this odoriferous gum was in use in Egypt even before the balm of
Gilead’ was carried there from Canaan by the Ishmaehtish merchants, b> camel
caravans about 2000 B.C. It is possible that the trade in frankincense from
southern Arabia was carried overland on camels in those ancient times, it ^eems
definite that a coastwise trade was in existence, probably from the Malabar coast of
India up to Elath, near Ezion Geber at the head of the gulf of Aqaba, in the da> s of
Kinv Solomon (1000 B.C.). However, while the tree Balsamodendron Gileadense—
wWch yielded the balm of Gilead-is not now found in the Jordan valley m Palestine,
both the trees Boswellia thurifera and Balsamodtndron mynha— which yield
frankincense and myrrh—are still important sources of odoriferous gums m southern
Arabkin the‘Frankincense Country' (see the ‘ Description of the Frankincense Tree
of Arabia with remarks on the misplacement of the Libanophorous Region m Ptolem> s
Geography ’ by H. H. Carter, Surgeon, Hon’ble East India Company s Sun e> mg g
Palfnurus The Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Astatic Society y Volume ,
Art ' Dforte 0 ; gave 1 sufficient evidence to make it. certain that the
‘ Frankincense Country’ was what is now the province of Dhufar in the Sultanate of
(Af) ^ study and
ports fong the south rn-s^Ar concerns Dhufar or the ‘Frankincense
cannot be dealt with in tins Drier note wine eerier the Arabia Felix of the
Country'particularly. wSh modern Aden, and the Arabia*
author of the Penpffis A dt ^ which is thought to have been
emporium of Ptolemy wren rv« v ATo i. q ii„ tnaqv Hr Carter s observations
on the site of Hisn as distinct frcunMakaU^Uiday^. nrXarte^ ^ ^ ^
at El Balad (in the district of DMar “tween S^in^ ^ ^ ascribed the ruins
description, referred to in the p P g . Muslim ruler possibly
stones of El Balad were ^been a fort and mart in much earlier, prob-
built on the site, the place had air : T and M y. a.) have, in their
ably in Phoenician, times. Indeed F ki n Cen se Country, Southern Arabia’,
contributions of 1895 Exploration , h l , { Q kaur p a zl in the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Nihaz
and 1900‘Southem Arabia’, identified the hde, ol^nau^ q{ an ancient
as Ptolemy’s Diana Oraculum, an identical with the portus Moscha (of the