Page 21 - DILMUN NO 7

women in the economic life of the country and piles of ruins, whose scarred faces show graffiti
how this contribution developed to comprise ranging from BC to modern times.
many fields of activity. Then he proceeds to
the social aspect of the changing status of Throughout the whole range of time, one
women. thing remained constant. The passing of end­
He takes the inhibitions which restricted less caravans from India and the Far East,
the Arab woman discussed in the second chapter carrying cargoes of spices which the
and shows how these were trespassed or
reduced in intensity. Mediterranean peoples firmly believed had
Finally, the author relates the new rights their origins in South Arabia: the criss-crossing
acquired by Bahraini women such as access to routes of caravans from the busy southern ports,
social services, civil rights, etc. He concludes bringing ivory and gold from the African coast -
the book by stating that the region of the and from Mocha near the mouth of the Red
Arabian Gulf has experienced a tremendous Sea come myrrh and alabaster.
transformation and that in the coming years,
the pace of change is expected to accelerate The list of commodities is fascinating:
rapidly once more. purple cloth, saffron, fragrant ointments, aloes,
tortoise shell, sesame oil and not least - female
slaves.
(1) A.H. Taqi, The Changing Status of the
Bahraini Woman, Oriental Press. Bahrain Acquisition of these desirable luxuries is
Arabian Gulf. deplored by Pliny, who felt strongly about good
Roman money going to the Arabian middle men
who profited from the trade, but the book tells
in fact, that the coinage used and universally
recognised was Greek, and that these coins were
used to buy sophisticated Mediterranean goods
to bring south. Any coinage reaching Southern
Arabia was swiftly melted down to make
“SOUTHERN ARABIA” bullion and the book makes it clear that, apart
from their skill in carving stone and alabaster,
by BRIAN DOE the Arabian had mastered the art of casting
life-size figures in bronze.
The final chapter, about the island of
Publisher : Thames & Hudson. £4.50
Socotra, which lies some 500 miles from Aden is
particularly fascinating, and the reader who
In a foreword to this book, Sir Mortimer wishes to learn more of this intriguing island
Wheeler - perhaps with tongue in cheek is advised to read “ Island of the Dragon’s
- describes it as an introductory work. But since Blood” - ,an account of an exploration by a .team
the author spent ten years on the scene the of students from Cambridge, in the 1950’s.
result is a study in depth of the entire complex Beautifully printed on paper of substantial
Southern Arabia structure, and it is well ill­ quality, the book is extremely good value at the
ustrated by a series of unique colour/black and price and is one that can be dipped into on
white photographs, supplemented by detailed occasion after occasion,- each time yielding
line drawings and maps, which enable the something new.
reader to better follow the more technical A final quote:
aspects of the text. “Little is known of Shabwa (Southern
Southern Arabia is no longer easily accessi­ Yemen) today. It is difficult to get to and
ble to the foreigner - if indeed it ever was - visitors are not welcomed by the inhabitants of
and the amateur archaeologist’s appetite is the ruins. The author was probably not the
likely to be merely whetted, rather than satisfi­ first to be discouraged from picking up a
ed by this book. It covers a vast range of pottery fragment by the clearly recognizable
material - from frankincense and myrrh to sound, over the still air, of a rifle bolt ramming
alabaster treasures - bronze figurines to ancient home a cartridge into the breach! ”
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