Page 61 - All About History - Issue 72-18
P. 61
Empire of Aromatics
Frankincense
and Myrrh
Petra: The beating heart of the Nabataean Kingdom, the wealthy trade hub on
the Silk Road, the once vibrant city, lost and forgotten for centuries. What is the
s
ya
story of this fabulous place and why was it lost to obscurity for so long?
t
Written by Jem Duducu
ocated in what is now Jordan’s were possibly the first to invent and wear
Arabah Valley, a few hours’ lipstick, about 5,000 years ago. They also
drive from Amman, the story crushed gemstones and used them to decorate
of Petra starts with two key their faces, mainly on the lips and around
L factors. The first is found in the the eyes. Of course, the images from ancient
world of luxury and fashion. Egypt was Egypt reveal that both men and women used
rich and powerful. This was due not to black eye makeup, something that might seem
mineral wealth, but to a well-organised unusual today, but was standard fare then.
society and the fact that the annual Perfume also plays a role in the history of
flooding of the Nile made the land luxury and fashion at this time and is as ancient
on its banks the breadbasket of the as makeup. The first reference to perfume also
Mediterranean. As in any complex comes from ancient Mesopotamia, around
society, there was a small number 1200 BCE, when a woman called Tapputi is
of very rich people, but there said to have created a scent from a mixture of
was also a middle-class of balsam and myrrh. Her creations were used
merchants and artisans who as perfume by aristocrats and as incense in
had disposable incomes. religious ceremonies, uses that spilled over into
So, how did they spend the wider world.
their money? This leads us to the Silk Road, a term created
Aristocratic by a German explorer in the 19th century.
Mesopotamian The name suggests this was a specifically
women designated road, running from east
to west (and vice versa). In fact,
it was a catch-all term for the
multiple routes used
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