ABANDONED TO THE DESERT

On August 1, I did a fascinating Centre For Continuing Education ancient history course entitled "Petra: Rose Red City Of The Nabataeans". Though it wasn't required of us, I wrote a couple of pages of bullet-point notes. Here are enough of them to give you the basic story.

* Nabataean civilisation lasted ~500 years
* Before 168BC, we don't know a lot about rulers
* Controlled incense trade in Middle East
* Petra cut into Cambrian sandstone
* Unique script different to Syriac Aramaic
* Water flowed down mountain and through city
* Houses built around central courtyards
* Famous rose-red buildings originally whitewashed/painted!
* Links with Alexandria - imported artisans?
* Divinities took the form of stone blocks
* Idea of empty seat as place of manifestation
* Theatre at heart of great temple - town council?
* Armed force mounted on camelback
* "A cosmopolitan crossroads"
* Paid off Romans with enormous bribes
* Eventually annexed (partially, then fully)
* Lost status, retained ruling body
* Xians had trouble converting N. from old gods
* Colossal earthquake in 363AD destroyed much
* ABANDONED TO THE DESERT

But P. didn't stay forgotten forever...