Minaeans
Encyclopedia
The Minaeans from Arabic (المعينيون Maʻīneyyūn mɑʕɪːnejˈːʊːn) or (معين Maʻīn mɑˈʕɪːn; also spelled Maʻin) were an ancient Arab
group in Yemen
during the 1st millennium BC
. Their Minaean Kingdom (مملكة معين Mamlakat Maʿīn mɑmlɑˈkɑt mɑˈʕɪːn) was one of important kingdoms in ancient Yemen
and Southwestern Arabia. Their capital was Qarnawu/Qarnaw (NW Yemen) along the strip of desert
called Sayhad
by medieval Arab
geographers (and that is called now Ramlat al-Sab`atayn).
The Minaean people were one of four ancient Yemenite groups (Greek ethnos) mentioned by Eratosthenes
. The others were the Sabaeans
, Hadramites and Qatabanians. Each of these had regional kingdoms in ancient Yemen, with the Minaeans in the north-east (in Wadi al-Jawf), the Sabeans to the south-east of them, the Qatabanians to the south-east of the Sabaeans, and the Hadramites east of them.
The Minaeans, like some other Arabian and Yemenite kingdoms of the same period, were involved in the extremely lucrative spice trade
, especially frankincense
and myrrh
.http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108153.html
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
group in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
during the 1st millennium BC
1st millennium BC
The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of many successive empires, and spanned from 1000 BC to 1 BC.The Neo-Assyrian Empire, followed by the Achaemenids. In Greece, Classical Antiquity begins with the colonization of Magna Graecia and peaks with the rise of Hellenism. The...
. Their Minaean Kingdom (مملكة معين Mamlakat Maʿīn mɑmlɑˈkɑt mɑˈʕɪːn) was one of important kingdoms in ancient Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
and Southwestern Arabia. Their capital was Qarnawu/Qarnaw (NW Yemen) along the strip of desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
called Sayhad
Sayhad
Sayhad is a desert region that corresponds with Northern Deserts of Modern Yemen and Southwestern Saudi Arabia ....
by medieval Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
geographers (and that is called now Ramlat al-Sab`atayn).
The Minaean people were one of four ancient Yemenite groups (Greek ethnos) mentioned by Eratosthenes
Eratosthenes
Eratosthenes of Cyrene was a Greek mathematician, poet, athlete, geographer, astronomer, and music theorist.He was the first person to use the word "geography" and invented the discipline of geography as we understand it...
. The others were the Sabaeans
Sabaeans
The Sabaeans or Sabeans were an ancient people speaking an Old South Arabian language who lived in what is today Yemen, in the south west of the Arabian Peninsula.Some scholars suggest a link between the Sabaeans and the Biblical land of Sheba....
, Hadramites and Qatabanians. Each of these had regional kingdoms in ancient Yemen, with the Minaeans in the north-east (in Wadi al-Jawf), the Sabeans to the south-east of them, the Qatabanians to the south-east of the Sabaeans, and the Hadramites east of them.
The Minaeans, like some other Arabian and Yemenite kingdoms of the same period, were involved in the extremely lucrative spice trade
Spice trade
Civilizations of Asia were involved in spice trade from the ancient times, and the Greco-Roman world soon followed by trading along the Incense route and the Roman-India routes...
, especially frankincense
Frankincense
Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana...
and myrrh
Myrrh
Myrrh is the aromatic oleoresin of a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora, which grow in dry, stony soil. An oleoresin is a natural blend of an essential oil and a resin. Myrrh resin is a natural gum....
.http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108153.html
See also
- Ancient history of YemenAncient history of YemenThe ancient history of Yemen is especially important because Yemen is one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Near East...
- YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
- Sabaean Kingdom
- QatabanQatabanQataban was one of the ancient Yemeni kingdoms. Its heartland was located in the Baihan valley. Like some other Southern Arabian kingdoms it gained great wealth from the trade of frankincense and myrrh incense which were burned at altars...
- Minaean languageMinaean languageThe Minaean language was an Old South Arabian language spoken in Yemen between 1200 BC and AD 100. The main area of its use may be localized in al-Jawf part of North-East Yemen, first of all in the Wadi Madhab...