Database: Frankincense

Two sandstone incense burners of different types: a Lihyanite one bearing three animal friezes; and a Roman one with a Latin inscription confirming the presence of the Third Legion Cyrenaica in Hegra.

Frankincense, or olibanum resin, is extracted from trees of the Boswellia genus. When the bark is incised, small tears of fresh resin form, which then harden and are collected. The renown of frankincense dates back thousands of years, and its trade even inspired the name of the famous Incense Route(s), which enabled distribution northward, westward and eastward. Although its demand may have declined over time, its use has never ceased, through a wide range of practices distinct from one another, such as purification rites, offerings during religious ceremonies, sacrificial practices, medicinal uses, and simply for its fragrance. One of the most common ways of using frankincense is burning it, and the cultures that once inhabited AlUla left behind numerous burners, which are today important archaeological artefacts: study of the resides recovered from some demonstrate that frankincense was just one of many aromatics burned in them.