This book is the first in English to survey indigenous knowledge of seasonal, astronomical, and agricultural information in Arab Gulf almanacs. It provides an extensive analysis of the traditional information available, based on local almanacs, Arabic texts and poetry by Gulf individuals, ethnographic interviews, and online forums. A major feature of the book is tracing the history of terms and concepts in the local seasonal knowledge of the Gulf, including an important genre about weather stars, stemming back to the ninth century CE. Also covered are pearl diving, fishing, seafaring, and pastoral activities. This book will be of interest to scholars who study the entire Arab region, since much of the lore was shared and continues through the present. It will also be of value to scholars who work on the Indian Ocean and Red Sea Trade Network, as well as the history of folk astronomy in the Arab World.

Daniel Martin Varisco is an anthropologist and historian with research experience in Yemen, Egypt and the Arab Gulf. He has written about Arabic folk astronomy and astrology, traditional agriculture and the history of the Arab almanac. He is currently President of the American Institute for Yemeni Studies.

​“This is an indispensable book eminently researched and written by a prominentanthropologist and historian about the rich heritage of the region and its people.Through the captivating chapters of the book, Prof. Varisco clearly demonstratesthe enduring quest for knowledge and the entrepreneurial spirit of the inhabitantsof the Arab Gulf, proving that their achievements and contributions to civilizationdate back to well beyond the age of oil. This book is an invaluable contribution toknowledge and a must read for all of those interested in the history and contemporaryissues of the Arab Gulf region.”—Abdullah Baabood, Chair of the State of Qatar for Islamic Area Studies andVisiting Professor, School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University, Japan
“Varisco’s Seasonal Knowledge and the Almanac Tradition in the Arab Gulf willremain, for years to come, as the most foundational anthropological work on theindigenous knowledge system of the Arab Gulf’s people.”—Abdullah A. Yateem, Centre for Bahrain Studies, University of Bahrain
“Historians have long recognized the importance of Arabic writings on navigationin the medieval and early modern Indian Ocean, but have largely assumed that thetradition had fallen apart in the age of European imperialism. In this marvelouswork, Varisco shifts the goal posts: he brings twentieth-century Arabic writingsinto view, showcasing a wholly new set of writers, texts, and ideas that had hithertoescaped our attention. In doing so, he transforms our understanding of the historyof the Arabic nautical tradition, but also forces us to rethink the study of mobilityand history in the Indian Ocean.”—Fahad Ahmad Bishara, University of Virginia, USA

“Varisco’s book constitutes essential reading for ethnographic and environmentalunderstanding of the Arabian peninsula side of the Indian Ocean through the preoilmid-20th century. Varisco’s profound ethnohistorical knowledge of the regionallows him to bring alive the local perceptions of how wind, rain, heat, and coldhave affected fishing, farming, herding—and survival. Lively and accessible, thisbook is a good read.”—Dale F. Eickelman, Dartmouth College, USA
“This is a unique study, presenting a complicated and highly sophisticated matterin a path-breaking analysis that is both convincing for the experts as it is accessibleand adventurous for the interested layperson. Varisco’s insights in historical andfolk astronomy of the Gulf region speak to historians, anthropologists and geographersalike - but they also will appeal to school teachers, cultural and museumexperts of and in Arabia, and to anybody interested in humans’ historical engagementwith climate and environment.”—Andre Gingrich, Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the RoyalSwedish Academies of Sciences
“With over four decades of work on folk astronomy and based on rigorous ethnographic,archival-historical, and comparative research, Varisco provides yet anothercomprehensive compendium in his book. This book gives voice to the people ofthe Arabian Gulf by discussing seasonal almanac information based on traditionalactivities conducted on land (including those related to agriculture and livestock)and sea (including those related to pearl diving, fishing and trade). Additionally,traditional modes of navigation by sea were formulated with reference to movementand position of the stars. The book contains a wealth of local poetry, folksongs and proverbs in both Arabic and English. All in all, the book is a timely andwelcome contribution to the scholarship of Arabian Gulf countries.”—el-Sayed el-Aswad, Professor of Anthropology, Retired

Contributes to scholarship on the Indian Ocean and Red Sea Trade Network Includes original translation of the major almanac of the Najdi author al-‘Uyuni Also includes translations of local Nabati poetry

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