The Lur nomads live in Luristan in the west of modern Iran. Two Danish scholars, Carl Gunnar Feilberg and Lennart Edelberg, visited this region in 1935 and 1964 respectively, and assembled two valuable ethnographic collections which provide a remarkable perspective over time on the historical transformation of Lur nomadism at a critical time when the sedentarization of these people was gathering momentum. This book discusses Lur material culture and practices within the wider social, political and administrative setting which historically allowed their nomadism to flourish but in the end curbed it. Theories linking modeern pastoral nomadism in this area with ancient forms of life are critically evaluated in the light of recent archaeological data from the Zagros, a cradle of early agriculture and domestication of sheep and goats. A generously illustrated descriptive catalogue presents the collections grouped under subject headings with short introductions: Settlements; Imamzadehs and Cemeteries; Transport; Domestic Animals; Hunting; Agriculture; Furniture and Household Equipment; Cooking and Food Storage; Weaving; Tools for the Manufacture of Skin, Wood and Metal; Dress and Personal Equipment; Musical Instruments. The Lur perpetuated ancient nomadic ways in a region which first saw their development out of prehistoric hunter-gatherer subsistence. Here is a fully documented record of their material legacy.

Nomads of Luristan: History, Material Culture, and Pastoralism in Western Iran (The Carlsberg Foundation's Nomad Research Project)

Politics & Social Sciences

Carlsberg Foundation's Nomad Research Project

Mortensen, Inge Demant

Social Sciences

Thames&Hudson

The al-Naim and al-Murrah Bedouins are two different groups of nomadic peoples in modern Qatar. The al-Naim lived an almost stationary existence by the seacoast of northern Qatar, often moving by boat and engaging in pearl fishing. In complete contrast, the al-Murrah of South Qatar traversed the vast and sandy reaches of southem Arabia on camelback. This book is a product of The Carlsberg Foundation Nomad Research Project, which draws on the rich Middle Eastern and Central Asian ethnographic collections of the National Museum of Denmark, as well as on recent social and cultural anthropological studies of nomadic groups in Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf and North Africa. This volume incorporates fieldwork carried out amongst the Qatari Bedouins in 1959, just before their lives were radically altered by a rapid expansion of the oil industry. Its chief focus is on everyday life and adaptations to the natural and social environment as well as on these groups' material culture, especially the structure and function of the tent. A richly illustrated catalogue of artifacts is supplemented by a unique collection of photographs which document the lives of both groups during winter and spring. A record of fast disappearing customs and folk arts, "Bedouins of Qatar" also offers a striking example of a fragile way of life whose traditions may soon be lost under the pressures of development.

Bedouins of Qatar (Carlsberg Foundation's Nomad Research Project)

Ferdinand, Klaus

Anthropology

A significant but little studied aspect of life in rural Afghanistan is the restriction of certain specialized occupations to particular ethnic groups. Many communities of artisans, tradesmen and entertainers form their own descent groups, either settled or leading nomadic or semi-nomadic lives. Afghan Craftsmen describes the lives and work of the migrating Musalli threshers, Shaykh Mohammadi peddlers and Ghorbat sievemakers, detailing their social and historical background as well as their interaction with settled communities. While the Musallis and the Ghorbat are specialist workers who share common descent, of Indian and probable Iranian origin respectively, the Shaykh Mohammadis have emerged as a spiritual body in Afghanistan, which over time has absorbed a number of unrelated occupational groups. All three share a low social position, economic marginality and a roving lifestyle. Their flourishing traditions of myths and legends reflect general West Asian religious folklore, and the inspiration of the Sufi mystics in traditional craft guild organization - a phenomenon so far little explored in Afghanistan. The volume concludes with a discussion of the social structure and characteristics of peripatetic nomadism.

Afghan Craftsmen: The Cultures of Three Itinerant Communities (Carlsberg Foundation's Nomad Research Project)

Arts & Photography

Olesen, Asta

History & Criticism

For centuries the Hazarbuz nomads have travelled the routes between Eastern Afghanistan and Turkestan, an area linked to the Silk Route, the age-old connection between the Orient and the Occident. This century however, their originally pastoral way of life has seen a number of upheavals as the society adapts to modern-day life in Afghanistan. This book explores the history of the Hazarbuz community, and traces the socio-economic and political changes which have shaped it in the 20th century.

Caravans and Trade in Afghanistan: The Changing Life of the Nomadic Hazarbuz (Carlsberg Nomad Series)

Frederiksen, Birthe

Popularly known as the "blue people, " the Tuareg have for centuries lived in the heart of the Sahara, unwilling to accept the political authority of others. This two-volume set offers a unique glimpse of Tuareg culture and society from the intricacies of their pastoral way of life to the complexity of their political, economic, and social systems. 515 illus. 210 in color.

The Pastoral Tuareg: Ecology, Culture, and Society (Carlsberg Nomad Series)

Nicolaisen, Johannes

Nicolaisen, Ida

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Books by Carlsberg Foundation's Nomad Research Project