Ancient South Arabia : from the Queen of Sheba to the advent of Islam / Klaus Schippmann ; translated from the German by Allison Brown.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-174) and indexes.

I. Geography and Sources -- II. The People -- III. Languages and Writing -- IV. Exploration History -- V. The History of South Arabia. 1. The prehistoric period. 2. The early chronology of South Arabia and the related problems. 3. Presentation of the kingdoms of Old South Arabia. 4. The history of South Arabia from the tenth century B.C. to the seventh century A.D. -- VI. Social Structures in Ancient South Arabia. 1. The Bronze Age. 2. The (proto-)Sabaean period -- VII. The Economy at the Time of Ancient South Arabia. 1. Overland trade. 2. Trade by Sea. 3. Agriculture -- VIII. The Military -- IX. Religion(s) in Ancient South Arabia -- X. The Art of South Arabia. 1. Architecture. 2. Sculpture. 3. Smaller works of art. 4. Coins. 5. Pottery.

"At the crossroads between Africa, Asia, and Europe, the South Arabian kingdoms were major commercial, military, and cultural players in world history. They controlled the sea route from Rome and Egypt to Africa and Asia and had a monopoly on the production and trade of frankincense and myrrh; religious ceremonies in the major ancient empires such as Greece, Rome, Byzantium, and Persia depended on the availability of myrrh from South Arabia.

Exhausted from wars, South Arabia was ready to be taken by the new force of Islam."--BOOK JACKET.