Phoenix dactylifera L.

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Date
Date Palm
Date Palm Tree

In Omani studies: Miller & Morris (1988) wrote that: "When the palm is immature and has no central trunk, it is called [DA: 'as 'es], when the trunk has formed, but the palm is sterile, it is called [DA: midkir] (that is, young male), and when it is mature and potentially fruit-bearing, it is called [DA: nuxelit]. The leaflets of the palm in all its stages are called xesit: xus, and it is these leaflets which were cut and collected for weaving and plaiting. The leaflets can be gathered at any season, but the softer inner immature leaves were preferred, being more supple to work and less awkward to pick than the fiercely spiked mature leaves. No preliminary soaking was required for the fresh leaves used to make cordage of various lengths and breaths, since the leaves were worked while still green. This rope-making employed a variety of techniques: plaiting; ... rolling and twisting across the thigh; twisting one end while the other was anchored firmly between the toes; twisting between two sticks; twisting between the fingers, and so on. Different thicknesses were made by doubling a thinner twisted thread back on itself and working the two together, or by introducing, one by one, as many worked strands as were needed to bring the rope to the required thickness. Fibre from this palm was regarded as being more fiddly to work than that of the desert palm, Nannorrhops ritchieana, the lengths of leaf being so short - only the side leaflets were used, the central rib being discarded. Material to be worked dry was split longitudinally to the requisite breadth. Often strands of the fibre were dyed - older members of the community remmember bubbling vats of red and black dye filled to the brim with the palm material, which once dyed was spread out to dry on the hard dry area above the tideline [J: hazog]. All sorts of items were made from this fibre, many of them being built up from the same basic broad strip which was deftly and firmly plaited in lengths and then stored until needed. The lengths of plaited fibre material would then be stitched round and round to make the basket or mate needed, using thread made from the fresh green leaflets of the palm. Prayer mats [DA: seggodeh] and floor mats [DA: ahsir, tefal] were made, mats on which to serve food [DA: kifayeh], fans [DA: merwah], and brushes [J: embeyrki], all sorts of containers and baskets [DA: zemil, setemeh, mexereft, guffeh], baggage animal panniers, [DA: xarg, jenb, sater], as well as smaller items such as funnels, strainers and sieves. Working with this fibre was not regarded as being such skilled work as working with the fibre from the desert palm, and everyone - of all ages and both sexes - was expected to known how to make basic cordage from it, and the majority of people were well versed in making the basic plaited strip from which so many of the artifacts were fashioned. Fibre from this palm could not be used to make the livestock milking-bowls however, as this fibre could not withstand the heat of the red-hot milk-stones or the repeated wettings as well as could that of the desert palm, nor could it be worked as finely to produce such a closely woven and watertight surface. However, more delicate and skilled work was done with leaflets of the cultivated date-palm brought down from the date plantations of the north. This fibre was worked with a fineness that well matched that of desert palm - the leaflets could be split into much finer strands and the strands themselves were longer and softer than those from the wild palm of Dhofar. Most fibre work with the wild date palm was carried out in the coastal settlements. The palm was common here, and the markets were close to hand and the demand consequently greater. Outside such areas one of the main benefits of the palm - other than collecting and selling (or working) the leaflets and building rough shelters from the branches - seems to have been that of providing the best material for constructing bird traps. The central ribs could be easily split to make supple yet strong sticks which were used to build these distinctive traps: square at the base, the sides sloping inwards towards the top in a pyramidal shape, the small square opening at the top crowned with a heavy flat stone and the whole trap set up with cunningly balanced trip-sticks. The bait of Sorghum or other grain was then scattered inside and out and the trap was ready. Impressive numbers of birds (mainly pattridges) were caught in this way, and people could earn their livelihood by their expertise in knowing where the most profitable terrain was for setting such traps, and exactly how and when to set them up. Threads made from the palm were also used to make the other bird traps [DA: sabka, J: sebket, siekt] which were made by half burying a row of slip-knot nooses or loops and weighing down both extremes of the row with heavy stones. Then bait was scattered along and around the line of loops, only the tips of which appeared above ground. The feeding birds were caught up around the leg and entangled by the loops and were then held fast until the trapper arrived. These easily made and readily available threads were used for all sorts of other reparing and rough sewing jobs - such as sewing up sacking for saddle-bags, for instance - with the stout strong packing-needle [J: meserzot]". (Ref. Plants of Dhofar). In addition, Richardson & Dorr (2003) mentioned that: "The making of rope (habl) from the fibrous material (lif) found between the base of the palm frond and the trunk of the tree, The climbing Harness (habl al-tuluw) is used, comprising two parts : a rectangular saddle or back support (quffah) and a long, thick climbing rope (suw). The suw is looped around the trunk and tied to each end of the quffah. plaited strip basketry is an important activity prior to the harvesting of dates. A variety of baskets, bags and mats are produced for date collection and storage.Basket makers produce a continuous strip usually using nine, 11 or 13- strand plaiting techniques.also, he uses plaited -strip techniques to produce decorative conical food covers (shat). Split palm baskets are made from 'isqah' the sturdy, woody stem from which the date spray hangs . Articles made from 'isqah' include rigid trays (makhraf) used for collection and serving of dates, winnowing baskets (sif) and lidded baskets for the storage of woman's sewing kit and other personal possessions.the most common component of date palm architecture is the da‘an, a flexible panel composed of palm frond (zawrah) lashed together with palm -fibre rope.Palm frond boats. plaited fish traps (qarqur) is used extensively as a means of catching fish in the calm, shallow waters. Date-palm wood and fibre are used for architecture, basketry and cordage. The hull (of boat-building) is caulked using cotton or palm fibre. In the Jaalan district rope-making and basketry are widely practised activities, particularly prior to the annual date harvest, when there is a heavy demand for mats, collection trays, panniers, storage baskets and harnesses for climbing the date palm. In Sur itself, where there is a particularly strong demand for rope and cordage from the fishing and seafaring sectors, agricultural activity is limited and the resulting local dearth of fibre for rope-making is supplemented by a supply of date-palm fibre from inland plantations. Dates are a vital food source for Bedouin families, who either lay traditional claim to small groves of date palms or hire the harvesting rights to particular trees on an annual basis. Used for making of articles such as the traditional camel-milking basket (karmah) of coiled palm and leather stand apart as unique regional forms. The trappings used to harness the camel have evolved out of strict utilitarian need, and have traditionally used materials which are available in the natural environment - wool, goat hair, leather, wood and palm material. Palm-fibre matting used as a part for making the hump pad. Four additional date-palm-fibre pads (haqibah) are used to provide cushioning for a fully laden camel. Men may stitch pads of date-palm fibre onto the back of camel trappings or join strips of woven goat hair to make windbreaks and animal shelters. Oman's Bedouin communities have access to date-palm material during the migration to market twons for the annual date harvest. They are skilled in a range of ropework and basketry techniques, including plaited-strip work for the production of basketry and matting, and plied work for the making of rope and cordage. Indeed, the production of palm-fibre rope, for which there are innumerable uses in daily Bedouin life, is among the most widespread of crafts among the dwellers of the desert. The Bedouin are also proficient at the making of da 'an, the panels of lashed date-palm fronds which are used to construct the simple 'arish dwellings they inhabit on the outskirts of oasis towns during the date-harvesting season. These dwellings, to which they return every year, required continual maintenance and repair. A typical stone dwelling in the coastal fishing settlement of Faghara comprised two living areas, each approximately 5x4 m; an inner room, with a single window, which was covered over with a ceiling of lashed palm fronds, and an unroofed antechamber that served as a sitting-room. A depilatory paste made of dates or qarat (Acacia nilotica) is sometimes smeared over the hair-side of the skin prior to burying. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) grows in isolated groves along the length of the desert coastline, wherever reserves of fresh water lie close to the surface of the land. In areas where date palm is in scarce supply, its fibre is limited to the making of small-scale articles, such as baskets for collecting and transporting dried fish, dates and other commodities. In the few coastal locations where water is plentiful and date palms are cultivated, palm fibre is put to large-scale use accordingly. Near Al Ashkharah, for example, seasonal Bedouin dwellings and fishing shelters made from lashed palm fronds dot the coastline for miles in either direction, wheraes in Ash Shuwaymiah, where date-palm fibre is in short supply, fronds are used only as a roofing material, the walls of traditional structures being built of stone instead. Paited strip basketry is practised along the desert coastline wherever palm material is found. The leaflet of the date palm (khusah) and the desert-palm leaflet (qadaf) are equally well suited to the fabrication of plaited strip articles and the basket-makers. Palited-strip work includes circular baskets (qafir) which are used for the collection of fish and dates and serve a variety of household purposes. Large rectangular baskets (khasaf) and panniers are made for the transportation of dried fish and other commodities between the coast and inland markets. For household use, rectangular mats are made for praying, sitting or sleeping, and round or oval mats are made for serving food. Basket makers also produce food covers, salt baskets and small flag-like fans secured to palm-frond sticks. A host of other plants also provide fibrous material for rope-making, including coconut and date palm, the underbark of various fig trees and the remarkably tough Dracaena serrulata. Such ropes are used for camel tackle, boat and baggage ropes, and tree-climbing harnesses. The firing of Southern Omani pottery takes place in an open fire, fuelled with wood, palm fronds, coconut husks, cow dung or other readily combustible material. It is a dynamic, short-lived process, usually lasting no more than an hour. Women in Taqah use fronds from the wild-date palm to make a simple but effective brush (mjamma'ah)". (Ref. The Craft Heritage of Oman). Furthermore, Ghazanfar (2018) stated that: "In Oman, dates are consumed in most households with qahwa (coffee). Many savoury sweets are also made from dates". (Ref. Flora of |Oman; vol.4).

Ghazanfar, S. (2018). Flora of the Sultanate of Oman, vol.4: Hydrocharitaceae – Orchidaceae. Meise, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Scripta Botanica Begica, Vol. 56). ISBN 9789492663153 ISSN 0779-2387. Miller, A., Morris, M. (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the Southern Region of Oman: Traditional, Economic, and Medicinal Uses. Published by Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman; ISBN 10: 0715708082 ISSN 13: 9780715708088. Richardson, N. Dorr, M. (2003). The Craft Heritage of Oman; vol. 1. Published by Motivate publishing. ISBN 1-86063-1576. https://en.wikipedia.org Hammer, K. Gebauer, J. Al Khanjari, S. Buerkert, A. (2009). Oman at the cross-roads of inter-regional exchange of cultivated plants. Gene Resour Crop Evol (2009) 56:547-560. Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008. DOI 10.1007/s10722-008-9385-z.