1. Frankincense and Myrrh Week 2 The Sultanate of Oman Malak Saleh

2. Introduction to Frankincense and Myrrh? They date back to 500 BCE They were originally just sap inside specific trees in the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula once the sap has dried out after escaping the tree it is ready to be used they have many more uses than just being incense and a fragrant.

3. What is frankincense and Myrrh Frankincense is an aromatic, congealed, resinous sap from a specific variety of trees in the Genus Boswelia. Most of the trees there are produce a scented resinous sap, but ONLY one tree BOSWELIA SACRA produces the highest grade of frankincense also known as “true” or “commercial” incense.

4. Uses of Frankincense It was used in burial rituals as a mummifying material, and a mean to cover the body’s odor The roman emperor Nero once burned an entire year’s harvest of frankincense at the funeral of his favorite mistress The smoke from burning frankincense is effective for driving away mosquitoes and other pests, thereby reducing incidences of malaria. Egyptians took the frankincense further than that they used it in the mummification process. Part of the process included the removal of the viscera, they were then placed into containers Large quantities of frankincense were placed into the body cavities to prevent decomposition and to mask the odor.

5. Medicinal Uses of Frankincense The Frankincense smoke or frankincense dissolved in water are all used in various forms to treat a variety of sicknesses including nausea, indigestion, chest coughs, hypertension, and post-child birth recovery.

6. The overland Routes From Moscha, frankincense was transported along the coast and up river to Shabwash by boats and barges. Once there it was sorted, graded, taxed and sent north by a camel. The careful controls of frankincense allowed taxation to the tune of 25% The continual stream of caravans made medina one of the most important global trade centers of its time.

7. Ocean Trade Routes Qana was the center of the Oceanic frankincense trade and the home port for ships heading in all four cardinal directions At Marabat the frankincense was loaded on boats or rafts and sailed or floated along the coast of Qana.

8. The Camel Pack Animal One of the first uses of camels took place in Oman as part of an effort to streamline the frankincense trade while lowering overhead. Although no conclusive evidence has been found yet, the development of the camel as a pack animal (which was tricky, due to the camel’s physiology) was a breakthrough.