Frankincense, Myrrh, and Spices The Oldest Global Supply Chain? Bradley Z. Hull John Carroll UniversityFrankincense, myrrh, and spices were highly coveted and highly expensive necessities of life in the ancient world. They were transported from distant corners of the world to their Mediterranean customers, and their routes crossed the Arabian Peninsula by camel caravan. An Arabian tribe, the Nabataeans, monopolized this trade nearly two thousand years ago. Their supply chain, with a hub-and-spoke structure, partnerships, value-added services, innovative packaging, and early adoption of technology, bears striking resemblance to those of today. It differed though, in its elaborate and painstaking security precautions. This tight security was mandated by the lawlessness of the era and the high value of the merchandise. The Nabataean supply chain maintained its competitive advantage for more th an fi ve centur ies. This arti cl e compares it wi th those of today and examines the Nabataeans, a nomadic tribe that shaped the basic concepts of supply chain management. Keywords: glob aliz atio n; supp ly chain mana geme nt; Nabat aea; Petra ; frankincense 1
