The Use of Stars in Agriculture in Oman
In Oman, traditional gravity-fed irrigation systems called aflāj (s. falaj) flow continuously, bringing life to arid areas. The water is used both day and night, and before the introduction of clocks and wristwatches, the sun and stars were widely used to time the allocation of water to farmers. Tod...
Authors: | ; |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Oxford University Press
2011
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In: |
Journal of Semitic studies
Year: 2011, Volume: 56, Issue: 1, Pages: 167-182 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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Summary: | In Oman, traditional gravity-fed irrigation systems called aflāj (s. falaj) flow continuously, bringing life to arid areas. The water is used both day and night, and before the introduction of clocks and wristwatches, the sun and stars were widely used to time the allocation of water to farmers. Today, several villages still use the sundial but only a few still use the stars. This paper describes the dying practise of stargazing and presents information on star lore related to agriculture, which is quickly being forgotten. For these reasons it is important to identify any other communities still using stars and to record their star lore before more of Oman’s cultural heritage is lost forever. |
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ISSN: | 1477-8556 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Semitic studies
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/jss/fgq063 |