# Minaean traders settle at Dedan (c. 4th century BCE)

URL: https://allhistories.com/saudi/timeline/-350-minaean-traders-settle-at-dedan
Themes: Key Events

Merchants from the kingdom of Ma'in in the Jawf of Yemen established a trading colony at Dedan, probably by the fourth century BCE. Minaean inscriptions at Al-'Ula record their presence, their gods and their commercial activity. The Minaeans controlled much of the northbound incense trade, and their agents appear as far afield as Egypt and the Aegean island of Delos, where they dedicated altars.

## Why it matters
The colony shows how closely South Arabia and the Hejaz were bound together by the caravan trade.

Ruler at the Time: [Kingdoms of Dedan and Lihyan](https://allhistories.com/saudi/rulers/kingdoms-of-dedan-and-lihyan)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Minaeans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minaeans)
- [Wikipedia — Minaean Kingdom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minaean_Kingdom)
- [Wikipedia — Al-'Ula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-'Ula)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Minaean traders settle at Dedan](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Minaean+traders+settle+at+Dedan)
- [Wikipedia — Incense trade route](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense_trade_route)
- [Wikipedia — History of Saudi Arabia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saudi_Arabia)