Oman's Bronze Age Dhofar: The Incense Route That Built Empires

Long before Oman's maritime empire, before the Ya'aruba fleet and the clove plantations of Zanzibar, there was frankincense. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Bronze Age trade that made Dhofar one of the most coveted regions of the ancient world. They follow the incense routes that wound through Sumer, Babylon, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, and meet the elusive 'incense kings' of Ausan, Hadramawt, and Qataban. Lucas explains how the arid mountains of Dhofar produced the finest frankincense in antiquity, how the trade was controlled by Himyarite and Sabaean intermediaries, and how the collapse of the Roman demand for incense reshaped southern Arabia. He also touches on the archaeological debate over Sumhuram and Khor Rori, and the lingering mystery of the 'lost city' of Ubar. A conversation that goes back to Oman's deepest roots, before Islam, before the Imamate, when the scent of resin was worth more than gold. #Dhofar #Frankincense #IncenseRoute #BronzeAge #Oman #Sumhuram #KhorRori #Ubar #Ausan #Hadramawt #Qataban #Himyar #Saba #AncientTrade #ArabianPeninsula #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo