Smithsonian - Perishable Pundit

70]COASTAL CRAFTSMANSHIPAND GLOBAL CONNECTIONSOman's seafaring heritage is legendary, andboat building— perhaps more than any othercraft industry—has had a fundamental impacton the course ot Omani history. The earliestwritten reference to the country, recorded onAkkadian clay tablets dating to 2520 BCE, pertainsto maritime trade and the emergence of Oman(then known as "Magan") as one ot the world'sfirstseafaring nations. Based on the export ofcopper from the north and frankincense fromthe south, earl} trade activity was a major catalysttor advances in boat-building technology.From these early times, Oman's boat-buildingindustry grew as part of a regional developmentot seafaring capability throughout the Gulf, theArabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, a developmentcharacterized by transfers of technologyand trade in wood and other raw materials.Oman's early boat-building traditionshave been perpetuated inMusandam. wherethe sterns and bows ot double-ended vesselscontinue to lie stitched together with palmfiberrope and decorated with goatskinsand cowry shells. Boat yards in the coastalentrepot of Sur also remain active, withtraditional boat builders receiving commissionsfor vessels with the elegant transomsfavored by local fishermen. Virtually all of thetools and equipment used are of extremelyancient lineage. Among the most importantot these are the adze and the bow-drill.Oman's port cities have a history rich inseafaring tradition. For centuries, dhows set sailfrom Sur, Suhar, and Muscat fully laden withmerchandise from Oman—dried fish, dates,limes, copper, frankincense, horses, skins, honey,and pomegranates—as well as Gulf pearls andYemeni coffee. In the [8th century, more than(in percent of the total Gulf trade and halfthe produce ofYemen passed through Omaniports. In return, traders brought commoditiesthat were 111 short supply m Oman: wood,spices, rice, precious metals, silks, textiles,iron, horn, and tine porcelain ware. Theyalso brought new ideas and technologies.At a boat yard in Al-Ashkharah, a bow-drill is employed to fit ribsto the planked hull of a shu'i commissioned by a local fisherman.SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL