Seasonal Knowledge and the Almanac Tradition in the Arab Gulf

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.

​“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 demonstrates
the enduring quest for knowledge and the entrepreneurial spirit of the inhabitants
of the Arab Gulf, proving that their achievements and contributions to civilization
date back to well beyond the age of oil. This book is an invaluable contribution to
knowledge and a must read for all of those interested in the history and contemporary
issues of the Arab Gulf region.”
—Abdullah Baabood, Chair of the State of Qatar for Islamic Area Studies and
Visiting Professor, School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University, Japan


“Varisco’s Seasonal Knowledge and the Almanac Tradition in the Arab Gulf will
remain, for years to come, as the most foundational anthropological work on the
indigenous 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 navigation
in the medieval and early modern Indian Ocean, but have largely assumed that the
tradition had fallen apart in the age of European imperialism. In this marvelous
work, Varisco shifts the goal posts: he brings twentieth-century Arabic writings
into view, showcasing a wholly new set of writers, texts, and ideas that had hitherto
escaped our attention. In doing so, he transforms our understanding of the history
of the Arabic nautical tradition, but also forces us to rethink the study of mobility
and history in the Indian Ocean.”
—Fahad Ahmad Bishara, University of Virginia, USA



“Varisco’s book constitutes essential reading for ethnographic and environmental
understanding of the Arabian peninsula side of the Indian Ocean through the preoil
mid-20th century. Varisco’s profound ethnohistorical knowledge of the region
allows him to bring alive the local perceptions of how wind, rain, heat, and cold
have affected fishing, farming, herding—and survival. Lively and accessible, this
book is a good read.”
—Dale F. Eickelman, Dartmouth College, USA


“This is a unique study, presenting a complicated and highly sophisticated matter
in a path-breaking analysis that is both convincing for the experts as it is accessible
and adventurous for the interested layperson. Varisco’s insights in historical and
folk astronomy of the Gulf region speak to historians, anthropologists and geographers
alike - but they also will appeal to school teachers, cultural and museum
experts of and in Arabia, and to anybody interested in humans’ historical engagement
with climate and environment.”
—Andre Gingrich, Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Royal
Swedish 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 another
comprehensive compendium in his book. This book gives voice to the people of
the Arabian Gulf by discussing seasonal almanac information based on traditional
activities 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 movement
and position of the stars. The book contains a wealth of local poetry, folk
songs and proverbs in both Arabic and English. All in all, the book is a timely and
welcome contribution to the scholarship of Arabian Gulf countries.”
—el-Sayed el-Aswad, Professor of Anthropology, Retired

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.