Incense resin
Hardened tree sap burned for scent in worship and homes, including frankincense, myrrh, benzoin and copal.
Also: aromatic resin, gum resin, dhoop, copal, benzoin
Resins are exuded by trees when the bark is cut and harden into tears. Burned on charcoal or in a censer, they release fragrant smoke. Frankincense and myrrh from Arabia and the Horn of Africa, benzoin from Southeast Asia, copal from Mesoamerica, dammar from India and Malaysia, and guggul from India are used in worship, in homes and in perfume. Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean world burned them in temples. The incense trade was a counterpart to the spice trade, running by caravan along the Arabian coast. Resins are spices in the broad sense, valued by smell, and some are also eaten in small amounts, such as mastic in Greece.