Agriculture in sixth-century Petra and its hinterland, the evidence from the Petra papyri (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of Arid Environments, 2013
This study presents archaeobotanical data that allow for a better understanding of the scale and timing of local agricultural production at the ancient site of Bir Madhkur, which lies in the hinterland of the ancient Nabataean capital of Petra, Jordan. The desert of the Wadi Araba region that encompasses Bir Madhkur has not changed significantly since its occupation in antiquity and is surrounded by ancient agricultural fields and associated farmhouses. Analysis of the archaeobotanical remains recovered from 62 soil samples taken during the 2008 excavation season address questions related to how and when plants were grown and what role they played in the local and regional economy. This analysis has identified two varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. aestivo-compactum), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and several legumes, such as lentils (Lens culinaris). There is also considerable evidence in the assemblage of crop by-products (chaff) and weeds specific to crop fields, which support successful local agriculture having occurred during Late Roman/Byzantine period (A.D. 284-500). The archaeobotanical identifications from Bir Madhkur provide direct evidence of increase in agricultural production during the Late Roman/Byzantine period and aid in illuminating the production potential of dry-land agricultural and its significance to populations living in arid environments.
2020
Recent research within the urban limits of Nabataean Petra has identified different social groups that were organized within spatially defined social 'districts.' Together with other archaeological evidence from within the city, this suggests a clear stratification of the cityscape into distinct social spaces. The evidence from Petra clearly highlights a Nabataean social structure that was deeply rooted in family, clan or tribal traditions, which can be traced back to the nomadic origins of the Nabataeans. While this correlates well with the evidence in urban Petra, the socio-political organization of Petra's hinterland remains largely unknown. This paper therefore aims at offering additional insights into rural Petra's socio-political make-up by presenting selected archaeological sites that were identified as possible markers of distinct social landscapes in Petra's surroundings. Specifically, this contribution focuses on presumed rural Nabataean mansions. This paper examines how these structures might reflect new perspectives on the social stratification outside Petra's city center in Nabataean-Roman times and argues that such sites contribute to our understanding of the complex social structure of Petra's hinterland, which can be characterized as an intricate patchwork of various social groups as is assumed for urban Petra.
Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2019
25 years after the discovery of Petra papyri, the fifth and final volume in the edition of the texts has been completed. These Greek documentary papyri, dating from the 6 th century CE, were found in one room of a Byzantine church during excavations in Petra (Jordan).1 From a total of 140 carbonized papyrus rolls about two thirds were able to be restored by the efforts of a joint US-Finnish team from the universities of Michigan and Helsinki. The number of published documents exceeds the given total of 87, since minor texts were jointly published under single numbers in vol. I and again in vol. V (68; 81a-c; 86?). The volume under review, which was completed by the Finnish editorial team, contains 37 new texts (50-87) and two re-edited documents (48-49) published in vol. IV under the same numbers. When dealing with P.Petra IV 48-49 in the future it would be advisable to refer to them as P.Petra V 48-49 and to consult additionally the commentary in vol. IV.
The Chronology of the Petra Garden and Pool Complex Through Coarse-wares
Petra has long been the focus of intensive archaeological research. One excavation project in particular, the Petra Garden and Pool Complex (PGPC), offers great insight into the historic, social, and economic timeline of Petra’s urban city center. The Pool and Garden Complex sits immediately to the east of the Great Temple and directly below the hill-top domestic structures of ez-Zantur. This paper will review the chronology of the PGPC and use the typology I have created that supports this chronological phasing. The ceramic material recovered from PGPC aided in supporting the chronological ranges of phases that have been distinguished as “Pre-Garden” (late first c. BC), “The Monumental Garden” (late first c. BC to early first c. AD), “Roman Renovation” (early second c. AD), and a “Second Destruction Layer.” As of yet this “Second Destruction Layer” is thought to be associated with a destruction at the end of the sixth/early seventh century AD. Having worked with the pottery from two other sites in southern Jordan, Aila and ‘Ayn Gharandal, I have been able to use that material as comparanda for chronological and morphological similarities in the coarse-wares present throughout the PGPC site. This study utilizes the coarse-wares to corroborate the chronological conclusions of the excavators which were based largely upon numismatic and literary sources.
Petra – Holy City from the Perspective of Art, Architecture, inscriptions and Other Features
Studies in Ancient Art and Civilisation
Scholars who have written about the city of Petra have concentrated on the history and archaeology of the city. And, while some of them have written about Nabataean religion, only few of them mentioned information about the holiness of the city; specifically, if it was worshiped as a deity. The aim of this study is to fulfil a gap in Nabataean religion in general and, in particular, re-examine the status of Petra in their religion. In addition to the archaeological evidence, such as buildings, art, and features, the study is based on written resources, such as historical sources and Nabataean inscriptions found in Petra and other cities.
Villages of the Early Islamic Period in the Petra Region
Archaeological work in the Petra city centre, in southern Jordan, has so far uncovered only scant evidence of early Islamic presence, and then only as what seems to have been squatter occupation of late earlier structures. The immediate region was also totally absent from the Annals of the Muslim Conquests, and later historical records up to the Crusades mainly refer to regions further east. Salvage archaeological work conducted by the authors in the modern urban areas of the Petra region, however, has revealed the presence of several thriving agricultural villages that span the periods from the late Byzantine through to the early Abbasid. The era seems to have witnessed a change of settlement pattern favouring small scattered groups, a pattern well suited to the agricultural exploitation of the land. In particular, the excavation at the site of Khirbat an-Nawāfla, in the modern town of Wādī Mūsā, also produced evidence for the co-existence of Christians and Muslims within the same community during the early Abbasid period.