> Date: Thu, 06 Jun 96 11:31:00 PDT
> Reply-to: wilkinso@polisci.sscnet.ucla.edu
> From: "Wilkinson, David POLI SCI" <wilkinso@polisci.sscnet.ucla.edu>
> To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>
> Subject: South Arabian world system/civilization?
> >"by all
> >the other possible system criteria South Arabia was an integral part
> >of the Circum-Mideterranean WS."
>
> How much is known as to the political-military-diplomatic transactions of the
> South Arabian cities/states with the (other?) cities and states of the
> Central world system/civilization? Was South Arabia an integral part of the
> "Circum-Mediterranean WS" on that system criterion?
>
> David Wilkinson
Actually, the most important data which led me to the conclusion you
mention are:
The introduction by the Hadramis of the second harvest of
frankinsence in Dhofa:r in response for the growing demand for
frankinsence in Mediterrania + a few dozen million sist. which went
from there to Yemen (both mentioned by Pliny) + restructuring of a
significant part of SArabia under the influence of the frankinsence
trade (Minaean inscriptions &c ).
With respect to the political-military-diplomatic transactions
you specifically ask about we know e.g. the following (in addition to the
famous trip by the Queen of Sheba (= Saba') to Solomon:
1. The Sabaean embassies to Assyria (the end of the 7th - beg.6 cent.
BC) [Assyrian royal inscriptions].
2. The Roman attempt to conquer SA in 26 BC (Strabo, Pliny &c).
3. Continuous embassies by which the (Himyarite?) kings in Zafa:r
made themselves friends of the Roman Emperors (mentioned by
Periplus).
4. The events of the 6th century CE in South Arabia greatly
influenced by the SA involvement in the the political-military-diplomatic
game of that age (involving first of all Byzantine, Persia and
Ethiopia) &c.
Generally, my conclusion was based on the economic influence of the
Mediterranean centre on SA rather than "the political-military-diplomatic
transactions".
Yours,
Andrey.