Documenting traditional agricultural weights and measures systems in the Al Hajar Mountains, Northern Oman

Oman lies on the South Eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a country rich in plant heritage. The nascent ethnobotany department at Oman Botanic Garden are working hard to record and conserve much of Oman’s largely undocumented ethnobotanical heritage. In 2013 the team began investigating and documenting for the first time the range of traditional agricultural weighing and measuring systems used in Oman’s Northern Mountains. Consent from the village elders permits the documentation of data from all interviews, including photos, videos and audio recordings. Local names, materials and uses for each traditional weighing apparatus is documented. 35 different devices and methods have been recorded thus far. Devices are largely constructed from locally collected wood (Olea euopea and Acacia spp.), stone and metal (often historic coins). The team has visited 12 villages to date and research will continue through 2014.