Petra Flashcards
Nabatean Empire
Third Century BCE to 106 CE
Petra’s Civic center
is an important area within the ancient city of Petra, located in modern-day Jordan. The Civic Center, sometimes referred to as the Center of Petra, served as the administrative, political, and economic hub of the city during its peak under the Nabatean Kingdom
located in the central area of Petra, not far from the famous Siq (the narrow gorge leading into the city) and the Treasury (Al-Khazneh).
Importance of water and water infrastructure to establishment of Petra
Shallow damp:
calms the water down to make the agriculture field
Hydro-engineering
cistern from the water springs to you
Nabateans
THE NABATEANS WERE CAMEL TRAIN DELIVERY SPECIALIST
Camel herding and raising
Rock-cut architecture
method used
Nabateans were not good at farming so
they hired people to farm for them
The Treasury
The Treasury was built as a mausoleum and
crypt at the beginning of the 1st century CE
during the reign of Aretas IV Philopatris.
* Philopatris means ”lover of his country”.
* Was most certainly Greek or at least wanted
to show off the Greek way of design.
WHERE DID THE FOOD FOR THE FEASTS COME FROM?
THE NABATEANS SPECIALIZED IN ‘POCKET FARMING
water systems
There are four different water systems
* Cisterns to collect water at specific places
* Water catchment systems for agriculture
* Spring water collection for drinking. Begun around 100 BCE to divert
water into and through the siq. Water went through the Zurraba
reservoir tank. FLOOD CONTROL
* Wadi-system of control: Water catchment system or tanks and canals
to protect the area from flash floods.
HYDRO-ENGINEERING
Flash Flood problems and solutions
The main problem was flash floods. Though
it rains only 4 times a year or so in winter,
the canyons create fierce flash floods. The
control these floods, water had to be
slowed down by a series of dams and
channel, so that by the time the water
entered the siq it could be managed within
the limited capacity of the pipes
How to protect the siq from flash floods
The flash flood protection system.
The fourth of the four water management types
