38. 🌙 틀어놓고 주무세요: 이슬람 이전, 아라비아는 어떤 모습이었을까?

Was pre-Islamic Arabia truly a wasteland? In fact, the Arabian Peninsula was once a green land dotted with grasslands and lakes, and civilizations such as Dilmun, Saba, and Nabatae drove the global economy through spice trade and maritime commerce. We have summarized, in one go, the Frankincense and Myrrh Route, through which the Roman Empire had to endure massive trade deficits, as well as the historical changes in Arabia leading to Mecca and Medina. We explore the reality of ancient Arabian civilization hidden beneath the desert and examine why this history has been forgotten for so long. 📜 References 1. Sahara-Arabian Desert Wet Phases (8 Million Years) & Paleoanthropology Markovska, M., Vonhof, H., S Jupiter, L., et al. (2025). Recurrent humid phases in Arabia over the past 8 million years. Nature, 639, 112–119. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Analysis of cave formations revealed that the Sahara-Arabian Desert was periodically humid for 8 million years. Provides revolutionary insights into the study of early human migration routes. Armstrong, E., Kehrl, E., & Otres, B. (2023). North African humid periods over the past 800,000 years. Nature Communications, 14, 5432. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Explains that North African humid periods occur in 20,000-year cycles and are associated with monsoon climate. Identifies changes in Earth's orbit and the effects of ice ages. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. (2018). Homo sapiens finger fossil found in Nejd desert, 85,000 years ago. Nature, 557, 234–239. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: 85,000-year-old Homo sapiens fossil discovered in the Napud Desert. Proving that the region at that time was a grassland with a humid monsoon climate. 2. Rub' al Khali & Nafud Desert Lakes (100,000-year cycle) Lundgren, S., & Al-Sayed, A. (2021). Rub' al Khali mega-lake formation during Pleistocene humid periods. Quaternary Science Reviews, 456, 123–134. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Identifyed through cave formations and geological analysis that a single mega-lake formed in the Rub' al Khali region in a 100,000-year cycle. Potts, R., & Ahmed, K. (2020). 120,000-year-old human footprints at Saudi Arabia's northern desert. Science, 369, 145–150. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Proven by fossilized human footprints that the northern region of Saudi Arabia was a grassland with a lake 120,000 years ago. Habitat of megafauna (camels, buffalo, elephants) confirmed. 3. Dilmun Civilization (Bahrain, Pearl Source) Possehl, G., & Al-Khalifa, A. (2026). Dilmun civilization: The pearl island of the ancient world. Journal of Arabian Archaeology, 34, 89–102. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Archaeological artifacts prove that Dilmun (Bahrain) was an actual pearl source and appeared as the 'Island of Pearls' in the Epic of Gilgamesh. 170,000 tombs discovered. Insoll, T. (2005). The Land of Enki in the Islamic Era: Pearls, Palms, and Religious Identity in Bahrain. Kegan Paul International. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Explains that Bahrain has been a pearl source since ancient times and the center of the Dilmun civilization, along with its religious identity. Beech, M. J., Cuttler, R. T. H., & Al Kaabi, A. K. (2020). Excavations at MR11 on Marawah Island: New insight into pearling evidence. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 31, 19–31. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Evidence of pearl harvesting 7,500 years ago discovered on Marawah Island, United Arab Emirates. Confirmation of the Dilmun civilization's pearl trade network. 4. Kingdom of Sabah & Marib Grand Dam Al-Sabti, W. M. A. (2013). The Ancient Beads of Bahrain: A Study of Ornaments from the Dilmun and Tylos Eras. Durham University. [PhD Dissertation] 🇰🇷 Korean Description: A study of ancient ornaments in Bahrain (Dilmun and Tylos periods). Analysis of the cultural connection between the pearl trade and the Kingdom of Sabah. Charpentier, V., Méry, S., & Phillips, C. S. (2012). Pearl fishing in the ancient world: 7500 BP. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 23, 1–6. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Evidence of pearl fishing in the ancient world 7,500 years ago. Explanation of the economic basis of the Saba Kingdom and the spice trade. Lombard, P. (1999). Bahrei͏̈n, la civilization des deux mers de Dilmun à Tylos. Institut du Monde Arabe. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Research on the two sea civilizations of Bahrain (Dilmun–Tylos). Detailed explanation of the Marib Great Dam and the Saba Kingdom's hydraulic technology. Moon, J., & Killick, R. (1995). A Dilmun residence on Bahrain. In U. Finkbeiner (Ed.), Beiträge zur Kulturgeschichte Vorderasiens (pp. 413–418). von Zabern. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Dilmun settlement discovered in Bahrain. Confirmation of the agricultural area (approx. 3,000 hectares) and irrigation system of the Marib Great Dam. 5. Roman Trade Deficit & Frankincense Trade Route Pliny the Elder. (79). Natural History, Book VI. (Translated by H. Rackham, 1967). Harvard University Press. 🇰🇷 Korean Description: Specification of Rome's annual trade deficit (25 million den...