HISTORY              Little is known about Oman's pre-Islamic past but it is clearrom recent archaeological discoveries and research that early civilisations existed at least 5000 years ago.    Sumerian tablets refer to a country named "Majan" as a source of copper. It seems certain that they referred to Oman. Evidence from excavations near Sohar shows that the copper mining and smelting industry was well developed by the year 2000 BC.     Frankincense from Dhofar, which was so important in the social and religious life of ancient peoples also provides evidence of the existence of an early trading community. It is also clear that there were farming and fishing settlements from the earliest times.     The ancestors of present day Omanis are believed to have arrived in two waves of migration over a number of years, the first from the Yemen and the second from northern Arabia at a time when various parts of the country were occupied by the Persians.                                             The Coming of Islam and the Early Imamate           The call of the Prophet Mohammed to the Omanis to become  Muslims altered the course of their history. It was in about 630AD that Amr lbn al-As arrived in Oman bearing a letter from the Prophet to Abd and Jaifar, the two sons of al-Julanda, who ruled Oman jointly. Having embraced Islam, they were instrumental in defeating the Persians.      The early Imamate in Oman arose out of a vision to create thetrue and ideal Muslim state.  The first lbadhi Imarn, Julanda bin Mas'ud, was elected in 751 AD but he died in battle and it was not until 801 AD after a period of turmoil that Warith bin Kaab was elected. There then followed a period of peace, stability and prosperity lasting more than three hundred years Maritime trade flourished and Sohar became the greatest sea port in the Islamic world. As they travelled and traded, the Omanis spread the message of Islam, as well as Arab culture and language, reaching as far east as China.