Magan (civilization)
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Magan (also Majan
Location
Modern
In the past, historians had debated possible locations, including the region of
History
The first
Naram-Sin gave the Akkadian title Malek to the defeated ruler of Magan, a title which is cognate to the Semitic, including Arabic word for king, malik.[9]
Magan was famed for its shipbuilding and its maritime capabilities: one Magan ship was capable of carrying around 20 tons of cargo, making each a formidable vessel.[10] King Sargon of Agade (2371–2316 BCE) boasted that his ports were home to boats from Tilmun, Magan and Meluhha. His successor, Naram-Sin, not only conquered Magan, but honoured the Magan King Manium by naming the city of Manium-Ki in Mesopotamia after him. Trade between the Indus Valley and Sumer took place through Magan, although that trade appears to have been interrupted, as Ur-Nammu (2113–2096 BCE) laid claim to having 'brought back the ships of Magan'.[11]
Commerce
Archaeological finds dating from this time show trade not only with the Indus Valley and Sumer, but also with Iran and Bactria.[12] They have also revealed what is thought to be the oldest case on record of poliomyelitis, with the distinctive signs of the disease found in the skeleton of a woman from Tell Abraq, in modern Umm Al Quwain.[12]
Trade was common between Magan and
Magan trade may have also been influenced by cities further south in Oman. The Shisr site, recognized as Wubar (Ubar) by UNESCO's "Land of Frankincense" is one such location that could have provided a large supply of resins of both frankincense and myrrh: major trade routes from southern Oman to Iraq go through long stretches of Magan-Sumer occupied land.[14][15] The resins on these trades routes was also sought after for medicinal properties: the Sumerians and the Magan-Sumerian people would have needed a steady supply to continue to make medicines and southern Oman, specifically the Dhofar Region, could supply the resins in necessary quantities.[16]
See also
- Dilmun
- Archaeology of the United Arab Emirates
- List of Ancient Settlements in the UAE
- History of the United Arab Emirates
- Umm Al Nar
- Archaeology of Oman
- History of Oman
References
- ^ Boats of the World
- ^ a b Zarins, Juris. "The Archeology Fund". The Archeology Fund. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ M. Redha Bhacker and Bernadette Bhacker. "Digging in the Land of Magan". Archaeological Institute of America.
- ^ OCLC 47140175.
- ^ F. Hommel, Ethnologie und Geographie des alten Orients, (Handbuch der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft von W. Otto, III. Abtl. I, Teil, Bd. I, Munich 1926), 550, 578 ff.
- Saudi Aramco World (May/June 1983): 18–19. Archived from the originalon 26 October 2014.
- ^ "I will spread in the world respect for my Temple, under my name the whole universe will gather in it, and Magan and Meluhha will come down from their mountains to attend" "J'étendrai sur le monde le respect de mon temple, sous mon nom l'univers depuis l'horizon s'y rassemblera, et [même les pays lointains] Magan et Meluhha, sortant de leurs montagnes, y descendront" (cylinder A, IX:19)" in "Louvre Museum".
- ^ "The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature". etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk.
- JSTOR 2155769.
- ^ Bhacker, Redha. "Digging in the Land of Magan". Archeology. Archaeological Institute of America.
- OCLC 152680.
- ^ OCLC 47140175.
- ^ Hamblin, William J. Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. New York: Routledge, 2006.
- ^ "Land of Frankincense". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ Hedges, George. "The Archeology Fund". The Archeology Fund. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- PMID 1744842.