Latest / Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History / The Incense Route: Frankincense and Myrrh Trade in Ancient Arabia
Transcript
- Lucas: You know, when people think of ancient trade routes, it's usually silk or spices. But before those really took off, there was another commodity that was arguably just as valuable — frankincense and myrrh. These aromatic resins from southern Arabia were worth their weight in gold, literally. Luna: I always assumed frankincense was just something in church incense. I had no idea it was that big of a deal. Lucas: Oh, it was enormous. The ancient world went crazy for these resins — they used them in religious rituals, medicine, cosmetics, even as a status symbol. And the only place you could get the best quality was from a handful of regions in what's now Oman and Yemen. The trees that produce frankincense and myrrh — Boswellia and Commiphora — grow in very specific conditions, mostly along the Dhofar coast and the Hadramawt valleys. Luna: So it was a monopoly by geography. Lucas: Exactly. And that made the kingdoms of South Arabia incredibly wealthy. The Sabaeans, the Hadramawt, the Qataban — they controlled the production and the trade routes. They built cities, temples, and irrigation systems that rivaled anything in the ancient Near East. And they guarded their monopoly fiercely. The Greek historian Agatharchides wrote that if any ship from outside tried to approach the frankincense coast, it would be destroyed. Luna: I remember something about the Queen of Sheba coming from that region — she brought spices and gold to Solomon. Lucas: Right, the Queen of Sheba — traditionally identified with Saba'. And that story, whether historical or legendary, shows how famous these kingdoms were for their wealth in aromatics. But the trade really took off after the domestication of the camel, which made overland caravans practical. Incense routes stretched from South Arabia up the western side of the peninsula, through Mecca, to Petra and into the Mediterranean. There was also a maritime route from the port of Sumhuram — that's modern Khor Rori in Oman — across the Indian Ocean and up the Red Sea. Luna: Sumhuram — I've never heard of that place. What was it like? Lucas: Sumhuram was a fortified port city, founded around the 3rd century BCE by the Hadramawt kingdom. It's one of the best-preserved ancient incense ports. The site has massive stone walls, a gate, a temple, and a complex water system. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea — a Greek sailor's handbook from the 1st century CE — mentions it as a major hub for frankincense. Ships from India and the Red Sea would come to load up. And the local rulers controlled everything. They had to — a single frankincense tree could produce maybe 3 to 4 kilograms a year, and the demand was insatiable. Luna: It's amazing how much infrastructure was built just to move tree sap. Lucas: If today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it really puts things in perspective. So what kind of infrastructure are we talking about? Lucas: Well, the Incense Route wasn't just a single trail — it was a network of caravan roads with wells, way stations, and fortified settlements. The Nabataeans, who we've talked about before, got rich as middlemen, controlling the northern end. But further south, there were entire cities built around the trade. Take Shabwa, the capital of Hadramawt — it was a walled city with a royal palace and a temple, all financed by incense. The Romans, especially after they annexed Egypt, tried to bypass the middlemen by sending expeditions directly to Arabia Felix — 'Fortunate Arabia' — but it was tough going. Luna: Did they ever succeed? Lucas: Partially. In 26 BCE, the Roman prefect Aelius Gallus led a campaign into Arabia Felix, but it was a disaster — disease, difficult terrain, and maybe sabotage by Nabataean guides. He never reached the incense regions. Later, under Augustus, there was more direct trade by sea, but the South Arabian kingdoms still held the monopoly on production. Pliny the Elder complained that the Romans spent over 100 million sesterces a year on incense, spices, and silk — and most of that went to Arabia and India. Luna: That's a massive trade deficit. So what happened to the Incense Route? Why did it decline? Lucas: A few things. Climate change and overharvesting hurt the Boswellia trees. Then the rise of Christianity reduced demand for pagan incense rituals — though the Church still used it. But the biggest blow came from the east: the rise of the Sasanian Empire disrupted trade routes, and then the Islamic conquests in the 7th century shifted the center of the Arabian economy northward. The incense trade never disappeared, but it shrank from a global luxury to a regional niche. By the 10th century, the great ports of Hadramawt were in decline. Luna: And what about the legendary Lost City of Ubar? I've heard it called the 'Atlantis of the Sands.' Lucas: Ah, Ubar — or Iram of the Pillars, as it's called in the Quran. It was said to be a wealthy city in the desert, destroyed by God for its wickedness. For centuries, explorers searched for it. In the 1990s, satellite imagery and ground surveys in Oman revealed a fortified settlement at a place called Shisr, which some believe is Ubar. It was a major incense trading post with a well and walls that collapsed into a sinkhole — maybe the basis for the 'divine punishment' story. But it's controversial. The site dates to around 2000 BCE, but the name Ubar appears in much later texts. Still, it shows how the incense trade left a deep mark on culture and legend. Luna: So there's really a kernel of truth behind the myth. Lucas: Often is. And you know, the trade itself says a lot about how ancient economies worked. Frankincense was a luxury that connected India, Arabia, Africa, and the Mediterranean for over a thousand years. It built cities, funded armies, and even influenced religion — the Magi brought frankincense to the infant Jesus. It's a reminder that globalization isn't new, and that some of the most valuable things in history are things you can't eat, wear, or build with — just smell. Luna: I'll never look at incense the same way again. Lucas: Good. Next time you see a stick of it, think of the caravans, the kings, and the trees that made it all possible.