An ancient resin traded for centuries is hit by the Iran war : NPR

Frankincense was buried with King Tut. Gifted by wise men to the baby Jesus — and burned as incense in churches and temples around the world. Now this prized product that helped to define ancient trading routes is tangled in a modern military conflict, just like all the other goods stuck in traffic around the Strait of Hormuz. Frankincense is an aromatic resin harvested from Boswellia trees in northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. And it’s been a leading export from that region much longer than crude oil. “The trade of frankincense is something that’s well over 6,000 years old,”…