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The environmental advantages of green tourism are attracting the attention of a wider range of stakeholders. The behavior of travelers toward green tourism sustainability and its impact on the accomplishment of a green environment has not been well studied empirically, particularly in Petra. In this research, we use an expanded framework of the t heory of planned behavior to explore the behavioral features of foreign visitors toward the sustainability of green tourism (TPB). Descriptive analysis of the explanatory survey was the method of choice for the research project at hand. A large number of respondents were tourists. Office administrators are responsible for the formulation of a company's corporate strategy. 400 tourists took part in our survey for this research. According to our results, travelers' views toward green tourism were highly influenced by their opinions of the sustainability of green tourism and their environmental concerns. In addition, our findings show that visitors' intentions to engage in the sustainability of green tourism are negatively influenced by subjective norms, whereas tourists' attitudes are positively influenced by these norms. Both environmental concerns and the desire of visitors to engage in green tourism have a substantial influence on ecologically responsible tourism behavior, according to our findings.

Qasr al-Bint Temple is one of the best-preserved freestanding structures in Petra beside it is the main temple of the ancient city. The Nabataeans built this Temple at about the same time as the famous Al-Khazneh (Treasury) was built, in the second half of the reign of King Aretas IV (ruled 9 BC-40 AD). I can surely say that this Temple is an outstanding and unique example of the fusion of Greco-Roman and Eastern elements in Nabataean architecture, which motivates scholars to study and write about it. The Nabataean's architecture, culture and religion still fascinate every scholar whenever they discover something new about them. Unfortunately, the Nabataeans did not leave many inscriptions that reveal all details of their life, but they left the most amazing archeological remains that will always be impressive and provide the motivation to learn and dig more to reveal more about their mysteries. In this paper, I will write in general about the Nabataeans origin, their settlement and location and their temples. Then I will write in detail about Qasr al-Bint Temple which I will focus on in my paper, regarding its location, most important features and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental advantages of green tourism are attracting the attention of a wider range of stakeholders. The behavior of travelers toward green tourism sustainability and its impact on the accomplishment of a green environment has not been well studied empirically, particularly in Petra. In this research, we use an expanded framework of the t heory of planned behavior to explore the behavioral features of foreign visitors toward the sustainability of green tourism (TPB). Descriptive analysis of the explanatory survey was the method of choice for the research project at hand. A large number of respondents were tourists. Office administrators are responsible for the formulation of a company's corporate strategy. 400 tourists took part in our survey for this research. According to our results, travelers' views toward green tourism were highly influenced by their opinions of the sustainability of green tourism and their environmental concerns. In addition, our findings show that visitors' intentions to engage in the sustainability of green tourism are negatively influenced by subjective norms, whereas tourists' attitudes are positively influenced by these norms. Both environmental concerns and the desire of visitors to engage in green tourism have a substantial influence on ecologically responsible tourism behavior, according to our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terracing and the construction of a flood control system in Petra has allowed a unique opportunity to examine landscape conditions and changes beginning with the Late Iron Age. The study area is the Hremiyyeh catchment that flows into the core of the archaeological city of Petra and therefore constitutes an important key to understanding the human settlement of the area. The location was chosen as a focal point for intensive investigation and the study of human response to environmental change. This study involved careful documentation of the topography, geology, and archaeology of the site. In addition, samples were taken for the dating of terrace construction and changes in the landscape. The study indicates that the hydrological interventions began in the Late Iron Age, and intensified during the Nabataean and Early Roman periods. At the time, some of the drainage areas were already deeply gullied, while other parts had recently accumulated sediments. The lower terraces became filled with water-logged sediments, leading to the deposition of carbonates. The upper terraces changed the drainage pattern and deposition of the sediments. The sediments trapped there seem to have been less waterlogged. The abandonment of the system at the end of the Byzantine to Early Islamic periods led to partial collapses, gullying, and bedrock downcutting. Due to soil accumulation, the upper terraces were restored and enhanced with new ones around the 11th. Century CE, probably due to partial reclamation of the area by nomadic settlers, with charred botanical evidence found indicating the burning of wild vegetation in favor of domesticated cereal and legumes, with relatively humid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The territory of modern Jordan is related to different historical epochs. Many ancient civilizations and peoples left their mark there. Many events happened in Biblical history. The study of Jordan’s archaeological memorials became possible in the second half of the 20th century because of the unstable political situation in the Middle East and in Jordan. During last decades the researchers have being discovered many archaeological memorials of the early Byzantine epochs. The work is devoted to the description of the best-preserved early Byzantine floor. The mosaics were found in Jerash, Petra, Umm-er-Rasas, on Mount Nebo, and other historical sites in Jordan. The author gives his interpretation of the pictorial and ideological content of the compositions. The ruins of the Church of Cosmas and Damian in Jerash contain the largest surviving fragment of a floor mosaic (533). The complex geometric division of the composition, in addition to decorative functions, had a liturgical application and defined the position of the clergy during worship. The construction of the baptismal aisle of the basilica on Mount Nebo corresponds in style to their time (530), but it is unique in content and composition, consisting human figures interacting with animals. According to the author, comprehension of the construction is most productive in the context of with Biblical exegesis. Mosaics from the beginning of the 8th century St. Stephen’s Basilicas at Umm er Rasas reflect the topography of ancient Palestine. That memorial is not less significant than Madaba’s map of the Holy Land of the 6th century that was discovered previously. The floor mosaics of the main basilica of Petra deserve special attention. Petra is known as the largest cave necropolis. For all its tradition, the composition of mosaics admits of multiple interpretations, versions of which are presented in the work. Thus, the ruins of early Byzantine basilicas discovered in Jordan recently expand the subject area of the study of mosaic art from the 5th to the beginning of the 8th centuries. The mosaics of Jordan were organic part of the cultural space of the Middle East. The decorativeness of early Byzantine mosaics which are heritage of the ancient world, is complemented by a wider range of ideological religious elements. Each mosaic has both common stylistic features and unique ones. Each object is a work of mosaic art, which reflects the original vision of theological, liturgical, chronological and other interpretations of the mosaic authors. Islamization and iconoclasm forced mosaicists to remake mosaics. They tried to save the mosaics from complete destruction and spontaneously restored anthropomorphic and zoomorphic images. Many mosaic surfaces were destroyed due to the weakness of the solution or earthquakes. As a rule, the original plot of the mosaics was not recovered during the restoration. It means that the period of Christian mosaic art in this region was relatively short and ended due to islamization and iconoclasm. Территория современной Иордании тесно связана с разными историческими эпохами. Многие древние цивилизации и народы оставили здесь свой след. Немало событий вошли в библейскую историю. Но в связи с нестабильной политической ситуацией на Ближнем Востоке и, в частности, в Иордании полноценное изучение археологических памятников в регионе стало возможным только во второй половине XX столетия. В последние десятилетия исследователи открыли множество археологических памятников ранневизантийской эпохи. Работа посвящена описанию наиболее сохранившихся ранневизантийских напольных мозаик, обнаруженных в Джераше, Петрах, Умм-эр-Расас, на горе Нево и в других исторических местах Иордании. Дана авторская трактовка изобразительного и идейного содержания композиций. Остатки церкви Косьмы и Дамиана в Джераше содержат крупнейший из сохранившихся фрагмент напольной мозаики (533 г.). Сложное геометрическое членение композиции помимо декоративных функций имело литургическое применение, определяя положение духовенства во время богослужения. Сюжеты крестильного придела базилики на горе Нево по стилистике соответствуют своему времени (530 г.), но уникальны по содержанию и композиции, состоящей из человеческих фигур, взаимодействующих с животными. Осмысление данных сюжетов, по мнению автора, наиболее продуктивно в сочетании с библейской экзегетикой. Мозаики начала VIII в. базилики святого Стефана в Умм-эр-Расас отражают топографию древней Палестины. Этот памятник не менее значим, чем ранее открытая карта Святой Земли VI в. в Мадабе. Особого внимания заслуживают напольные мозаики главной базилики города Петры, более известного как крупнейший пещерный некрополь. При всей своей традиционности композиция мозаик допускает множественное толкование, версии которого представлены в работе. Таким образом, недавно открытые в Иордании остатки ранневизантийских базилик расширяют предметную область изучения мозаичного искусства V – начала VIII в. Мозаики Иордании являлись органичной частью культурного пространства Ближнего Востока. Декоративность ранневизантийских мозаик, унаследованная от эпохи античности, существенно дополнена более широким спектром религиозных идей. При общих стилистических особенностях и подобии визуальных элементов каждый объект является уникальным произведением мозаичного искусства, отражающим оригинальность теологических, литургических, хронологических и иных взглядов авторов мозаик. Арабская экспансия и иконоборчество VIII в. вынуждало авторов мозаик перекладывать стихийным набором антропоморфные и зооморфные изображения с целью недопущения полного уничтожения работ. Реставрация утрат декоративного слоя напольных мозаик, возникавших по причине слабости раствора или землетрясений, производилась, как правило, без восстановления первоначального сюжета. Это говорит об относительно коротком периоде христианского мозаичного искусства и его резкой утрате в данном регионе по причине исламизации и иконоборчества.

Although Nabataean Painted Fine Ware (NPFW) has been examined in light of Stephan Schmid’s chronological typology since the late 1990s, few stratified contexts with NPFW from outside Petra have been published, and none derived from contexts occupied continuously from the Nabataean through Byzantine periods. Questions remain about the dating of later dekorphases (3–4) due to a lack of contexts. This paucity is remedied, however, by Area K at Roman Aqaba/Aila, Jordan. Area K was a domestic complex, just inside the later Byzantine city wall, excavated from 1994 through 2002. Using associated numismatic evidence and imported fine wares (primarily Eastern Sigillata A and African Red Slip), this paper argues that NPFW Dekorphase 3b appeared at Aila in the second half of the 1st century CE, and Dekorphase 3c appeared shortly afterwards, around the time of the Roman annexation in the beginning of the 2nd century.

The remains of a Nabataean private complex located west of the Roman-period apsidal building in the Qasr al-Bint area of Petra, excavated by the French archaeological team between 2005 and 2008, turned out to be reused by squatters during the Roman period. This occupation phase, one of the latest in this complex, was of a domestic nature, characterized by the installation of ovens (tawabeen) and other fireplaces, as well as the installation of a channel in the courtyard. The large assemblage of well preserved, often complete pottery vessels from the corresponding levels was dated by coins and Nabataean pottery, supported by radiocarbon datings, to the second half of the 2nd and the early 3rd centuryCE. Consequently, the group offers the opportunity to study a homogeneous corpus of ceramic material from a period that is not at all well documented in Petra. The repertoire includes all kinds of vessels, especially cooking pots, small storage jars and drinking vessels. In addition, a set of multi-nozzled lamps was associated with this group.

An understanding of the early development of surface water control systems in Petra, Jordan, has thus far eluded investigators. While the Nabateans certainly used these extensively, it is not clear if they were the first to do so. In some areas in the headwaters of Petra in the Sharah Mountains, megalithic structures have been reported, with some investigators suggesting that they date back to the Iron Age. In this study, we investigate this issue using of quartz luminescence-depth profiles to date rock surfaces collected from a gabion (megalithic stepped terrace wall) at the site of Heash, Petra. Profiles from 5 cores from two rock samples show that quartz OSL signals were apparently fully bleached to a depth of 2 mm into the surface of the rocks used in construction of the terrace walls. Two other cores from the same rocks give an older age (3.3 ± 0.3 ka ago), compared to the other five (1.7 ± 0.2 ka ago). This indicates that structures at the site were initially constructed during the Iron Age, and experienced further development during the Late Roman/Byzantine period at ~ 300 CE, indicating the vitality and importance of the area. These dates are consistent with the pottery found at the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessibility for visitors to World Heritage Sites is an important issue in heritage management; therefore, accessing heritage sites has been seen as a sensitive issue and facing important criticism. This research is intended to examine visitor's accessibility to World Heritage Sites by analyzing the context of cultural, physical, and financial accessibility. One aim of this research is to critically examine accessibility for tourists to Petra-Jordan's World Heritage Site. The purpose of the analysis is to provide an understanding of accessibility and of its opportunities and constraints in Petra. Empirical data was collected based on site field work at Petra involving a visual inspection of the site in addition to interviews with tour guides and tourists.‏ The findings of this study show that a shift in heritage management policy has been made from reactive approaches to a more functional approach, accessibility issues have not been completely addressed; the translation into action of practical comprehensive accessibility measures is full of both conceptual and practical difficulties. This research is the first of its kind conducted in Jordan and specifically aims at scoping accessibility at a national World Heritage Site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remains of a Nabataean private complex located west of the Roman-period apsidal building in the Qasr al-Bint area of Petra, excavated by the French Archaeological Mission between 2005 and 2008, turned out to be reused by squatters during the Roman period. This occupation phase, one of the latest in this complex, was of a domestic nature, characterized by the installation of ovens (tawabeen) and other fireplaces, as well as of a channel in the courtyard. The large assemblage of well preserved, often complete pottery vessels from the corresponding levels was dated by coins and Nabataean pottery, supported by radiocarbon datings, to the second half of the 2nd and the early 3rd century CE. Consequently, the group offers the opportunity to study a homogeneous corpus of ceramic material from a period that is not at all well documented in Petra. The repertoire includes all kinds of vessels, especially cooking pots, small storage jars and drinking vessels. In addition, a set of multi-nozzled lamps was associated with this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Nabataean Painted Fine Ware (NPFW) has been examined in light of Stephan Schmid's chronological typology since the late 1990s, few stratified contexts with NPFW from outside Petra have been published, and none derived from contexts occupied continuously from the Nabataean through Byzantine periods. Questions remain about the dating of later Dekorphases (3-4) due to a lack of contexts. This paucity is remedied, however, by Area K at Roman Aqaba/Aila, Jordan. Area K was a domestic complex, just inside the later Byzantine city wall, excavated from 1994 through 2002. Using associated numismatic evidence and imported fine wares (primarily Eastern Sigillata A and African Red Slip), this paper argues that NPFW Dekorphase 3b appeared at Aila in the second half of the 1st century CE, and Dekorphase 3c appeared shortly afterwards, around the time of the Roman annexation in the beginning of the 2nd century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al-Jaya Palace and the New Shawbak Town. A Medieval frontier and the return of the urbanism in the Southern Transjordan The recent discovery – made during the 2018 campaign ofthe ‘Medieval Petra’ Mission of the University of Florence – of the residential al-Jaya Palace at the bottom of the hill of Shawbak’s ‘incastellato’ site is of particular relevance both for medieval and Islamic heritage in Jordan (no architecture of a comparable quality from the Ayyubid-Mamluk periodhas ever been found in the country) and mostly for the archaeological confirmation that underneath al-Jaya, lays the ancient medieval capital city of southern Jordan, founded by Saladin, on the same site of the castle-capital of the previous Crusader Lordship of Transjordan. This result represents a triple confirmation for the scientific program of the Mission: the productivity of the ‘Light Archaeology’ methodology that characterizes our approach; the real existence of the city whose foundation we had deemed to be able to propose (owing solely to the ‘light’ reading son the walls of the ‘castle’); and the excellence of the formal level of the building – perfectly matching the quality of the political and productive structures documented earlier in the castle – that speaks of a cultured and refined city and of an extraordinary strategic project that can be attributed to Saladin’s political intelligence. A project that gave back a new centrality to the entire southern Transjordan and started a settlement and political tradition that is the basis of modern Jordan itself (it is not accidental that the first capital of the state was Ma’an). Once the urban structure that has now appeared is understood, future research will be able to direct the excavations so as to address another great historical question which 2018 investigations have highlighted: we know the birth and begin to read the life of this extraordinary town, butwhen, how and why did it perish so much so that it was forgotten by history (and to be rediscovered by archaeology)? Perhaps for the first time, we will have an opportunity to study archaeologically an aspect of the historical crisis that, probably during the 15th century, engulfed the Arab-Islamicworld, opening the way for the Ottoman conquest. It is an intriguing perspective to be addressed in tandem with a renewed public archaeology program: conservative restoration, social valorization, broad communication directed both to the local communities and to the international public with the implementation of the master plan 2010-14, and, finally, tourist routes connecting Shawbak with the Petra area.

The recent discovery -- made during the 2018 campaign of the 'Medieval Petra' Mission of the University of Florence -- of the residential al-Jaya Palace at the bottom of the hill of Shawbak's 'incastellato' site is of particular relevance both for medieval and Islamic heritage in Jordan (no architecture of a comparable quality from the Ayyubid-Mamluk period has ever been found in the country) and mostly for the archaeological confirmation that underneath al-Jaya, lays the ancient medieval capital city of southern Jordan, founded by Saladin, on the same site of the castle-capital of the previous Crusader Lordship of Transjordan. This result represents a triple confirmation for the scientific program of the Mission: the productivity of the 'Light Archaeology' methodology that characterizes our approach; the real existence of the city whose foundation we had deemed to be able to propose (owing solely to the ''light' readings on the walls of the 'castle'); and the excellence of the formal level of the building -- perfectly matching the quality of the political and productive structures documented earlier in the castle -- that speaks of a cultured and refined city and of an extraordinary strategic project that can be attributed to Saladin's political intelligence. A project that gave back a new centrality to the entire southern Transjordan and started a settlement and political tradition that is the basis of modern Jordan itself (it is not accidental that the first capital of the state was Ma'an). Once the urban structure that has now appeared is understood, future research will be able to direct the excavations so as to address another great historical question which 2018 investigations have highlighted: we know the birth and begin to read the life of this extraordinary town, but when, how and why did it perish so much so that it was forgotten by history (and to be rediscovered by archaeology)? Perhaps for the first time, we will have an opportunity to study archaeologically an aspect of the historical crisis that, probably during the 15th century, engulfed the Arab-Islamic world, opening the way for the Ottoman conquest. It is an intriguing perspective to be addressed in tandem with a renewed public archaeology program: conservative restoration, social valorization, broad communication directed both to the local communities and to the international public with the implementation of the master plan 2010-14, and, finally, tourist routes connecting Shawbak with the Petra area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using structural equation modeling, this study investigates how tour guide performance influences visitors' sustainable behavior at cultural heritage sites by examining the mediating effects of visitor experience and satisfaction. The structural model was tested on a sample of 390 visitors at Petra Archaeological Park in Jordan. Tour guide performance was found to have a significant direct and indirect effects in enhancing visitor sustainable behavior. Moreover, the findings showed that visitor experience and satisfaction significantly mediates the relationship between tour guide performance and visitor sustainable behavior. This research contributes to our understanding of the tour guide role in maximizing visitors' appreciation and enjoyment, and minimizing their negative impacts on heritage sites. Managerial implications are discussed in light of the empirical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Tourist harassment is one of the major challenging issues influencing the competitiveness of various tourist destinations across the globe. While the topic has received some attention over the past two decades, there is still a dearth of research on the influence of tourist harassment on travelers' perceptions and behaviors. Drawing on qualitative data collected through 27 semi-structured interviews with international travelers visiting Petra, Jordan, the study reveals that the perceived destination image and travelers' behavioral intentions are unlikely to be influenced by harassment experiences. However, there is evidence that harassing tourists to achieve greater sales has an adverse impact on tourists' expenditure level. That is, when harassed, tourists are less likely to be willing to make purchases. The study adds to a still-maturing stream of research on tourist harassment and provides several theoretical as well as practical implications. Highlights • Tourist harassment has become a part of vacation/destination experience. • Tourist harassment has no influence of destination image. • Tourist harassment has no influence on behavioral intentions. • Tourist harassment has an adverse impact on purchase intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism impacts on destinations have been widely researched; however, few studies have investigated the sociocultural impacts of tourism on local communities in Jordan. The aim of this paper is to explore the negative impacts of tourism development on the local culture of Bedouins of Petra in Jordan. The paper employed qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews with (18) Bedouin employees in the tourism services in the region of Petra. The authors adopted the Social Exchange Theory (SET) to explain the behaviour and attitudes of Bedouins towards tourism development in Petra. The study showed that the Bedouins of Petra had witnessed significant negative impacts in terms of negative sociocultural changes; school dropouts and child labour; and alteration of sociocultural values. To interrogate some of the fundamental consequences of tourism development for the Bedouins, the researchers emphasise that strategic plans are needed to facilitate the sustainable development of tourism for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of tourism sector requires “consumer” to move to where the service is provided. Consumer’s movement to a different place leads to a direct encounter not only with service providers but also with those who live where the service is provided. This encounter results in a set of changes in the host community’s life. By using a self-completion questionnaire, this paper examined the residents’ perceptions of tourism development in Jordan’s main tourist destination, Petra. The findings suggested that the host community in Petra had positive attitudes toward tourism development in their city. The results showed that social and cultural impacts of tourism were most favored by surveyed sample. Host community is also assumed to favor tourism development for its role in bringing about better local services. The results are discussed thoroughly and directions for future research are suggested.

Site investigation was made in order to assess and evaluate the existing structural conditions of Qasr al-Bint. The damage and deterioration forms of the structure were mapped and represented by schematic drawings and pictures and their causes were defined. A conservation program is suggested in order to preserve the artistic and historical values of this monument and to strengthen it against any possible earthquake in the future. The conservation program must utilize the same materials and suitable techniques used locally. The program must restore the horizontal diaphragms of the floor over the interior section and the roof of the whole building and ensure that these diaphragms are well interconnected to the walls. The conservation program must provide adequate reinforced concrete tie beams at the middle third of the wall thickness and below the horizontal diaphragms. These tie beams can be arranged in a two-dimensional grid along the wall lines and can be wrapped by polystyrene or isolation sheets to protect the sandstones from any adverse effects that may result from the concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive terracing was an important component of the water and agricultural management regime of Nabatean Petra. The exact function(s) of these terraces, qualitatively and quantitatively, is herein investigated. Field studies and computer modeling for two sites within the drainage basin of Petra show that these terraces were highly effective at reducing surface runoff. Different design features seem to have been adapted in order to achieve different objectives at varying sites. For example, the Beidha site in the lower reaches of the catchment area falls within the higher relief Ordovician Disi Sandstone formation area. Here, the terrace system was designed to slow water flow and trap sediments. The terracing greatly reduced surface water flow through the entrapment of sandy loam sediments behind it. On the other hand, the Baqa’a site falls in the upper reaches of the drainage basin within the Upper Cretaceous Amman Silicified Limestone formation. The effect of the terrace system here on runoff is significant, but less than that seen at Beidha. This system was more suited for soil conservation and agriculture, as the soil here in its natural state already had a high infiltration rate. Neglect and abandonment of these terraces at both sites have led to increased runoff, as evidenced by the development of gullies and by periodic flooding downstream in the core of the ancient city. Based on the six modeled cases, terraces can minimize the surface flow by an average of 28%, with values as high as 90% when 2010 precipitation data were used. Conducting an intensive survey within the catchment area surrounding the ancient city of Petra, mapping the ancient terraces, and reviving their function may produce significant results in flood mitigation and control there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the discovery and mapping of a large, previously unknown monumental structure at Petra, Jordan, using Google Earth, WorldView-1 and WorldView-2, and drones. Petra represents one of the most well-known and surveyed archaeological parks in the world; yet significant structures within range of its central city remain to be discovered. This article discusses the significance of the new discovery in relationship to Petra and its cultural landscape as well as the potential of WorldView-1, -2, and -3 satellite sensors for other archaeological projects in similar geographic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeobotanical samples recovered during the 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2011 excavation seasons at the Petra Garden and Pool Complex (PGPC) in Jordan examined plants that were preserved during different phases of use of the site. The analysis of these remains attempts to determine what plants would have been grown in the garden in antiquity. Results indicated that the material recovered likely represented plants that had been preserved elsewhere in the area and then deposited in the garden to act as fertilizer. The remains were generally charred and were probably derived from fuel and/or waste deposits as it does not appear that the garden was catastrophically burned. Although it is difficult to ascertain garden variety plants under these preservation conditions, an analysis of the archaeobotanical data from the PGPC addresses the questions of what and how plants functioned in the local and regional economy, and how the role of the garden changed through time, in addition to providing insight into the general environmental or ecological conditions present in southern Jordan from the Late Hellenistic through Late Byzantine/Post-Classical periods. Although ornamental species represent a small fraction of materials collected, the presence of these taxa may indicate their occurrence in the garden. Even if garden plants are not readily identifiable, this study aids in addressing the larger issues of trade, economy and environment of this ancient city, as well as the feasibility of identifying garden plants in antiquity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012 the ancient city of Petra celebrated the 200th anniversary of its Western re-identification The Brown University Petra Archaeological Project (BUPAP) has sought to document the northern hinterland of Petra through a multi-component methodology that includes intensive field survey, feature documentation and limited test excavations. The iconic site of Petra has a long and storied history, and it is a site that presents many challenges to archaeologists and cultural heritage managers. During a series of test excavations meant to ground truth locations earmarked by the overlapping intensive field survey and feature documentation, several patterns of looting were identified. These instances of looting were often paralleled by observed vandalism that defaced archaeological heritage, within and outside the Petra Archaeological Park, with archaeological artifacts being sold to tourists at nearby shops. This study provides crucial documentation of these processes of vandalism and looting recorded over the last three years We propose that only through continued monitoring can local authorities be provided with ample evidence calling for additional cultural heritage protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the application of documentation and recording techniques for World Heritage conservation using the case studies of the Petra Archeological Park (PAP) in Jordan and the Silk Roads Cultural Heritage Information System (CHRIS) in Central Asia. In the PAP case study, these techniques could aid in the assessment of risks faced by World Heritage properties and threats to the integrity of the Outstanding Universal Values (OUV). With respect to the Silk Roads CHRIS case study the Geospatial Content Management System (Geo-CMS) proposed aims to improve information management and collaboration among all stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – Integrated surveying techniques and information management systems together with active stakeholder participation can be used as conservation and management tools. In the case of PAP, using a systematic documentation tool (MEGA-J) to conduct site condition and risk assessment of cultural heritage and combining photographs, maps and GPS measurements within a GIS platform allows for identifying the location and intensity of risks, and the degree of vulnerability within the PAP boundaries and buffer zone. In the Silk Roads CHRIS project the Geo-CMS brings together data from different fields, e.g. geography, geology, history, conservation, to allow for a holistic approach towards documentation, protection and management of a number of diverse sites to be combined in serial transnational World Heritage. Findings – The study provides insight into how digital technologies can aid in heritage documentation and conservation, including stakeholder involvement and training. Moreover, by means of the two case studies it can be shown that a combination of digital technologies allows for an efficient mapping of buffer zones and risks and how a Geo-CMS can form a common platform to manage large quantities of information of different origin and make it accessible to stakeholders in transnational projects. Originality/value – This paper discusses the use of digital technology and the participation of stakeholders in heritage conservation and documentation when dealing with complex World Heritage properties, e.g. serial transnational and archaeological ensembles at high risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the process of incorporating the Bedouin of Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan on UNESCO’s list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. The author focuses on the Bedouin tribes around Petra, who were resettled in villages when UNESCO proclaimed the area part of the tangible heritage of humanity in 1985. Heritage is approached as a ‘process of assembling’ that emerges from the interactions of social entities operating on a smaller scale. By focusing on these entities’ various discourses about Bedouin heritage that are included in the reports and applications to UNESCO, it is argued that through the process of proclaiming intangible heritage, cultural categories are formulated so as to fit into contemporary imaginations, longings and settlement policies. Investigating the process of heritage inscription reveals the multiple, and at times contradictory, discourses that undergird the production of particular images of Bedouin culture through heritage institutions that interlock, rather than harmonise, them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper I examine the historical and political contingencies which have produced the city of Petra and the Bedouin as national signifiers in Jordan. The invention of a collective national memory and a utilitarian national identity are inseparable from the power-relations that operate in national contexts. Both Petra and the Bedouin have become symbols of Jordanian national identity in response to crises of legitimacy faced by the Monarchical Establishment in Jordan. Identity construction in Jordan has been based on strategies of inclusion and exclusion, re-inscribing histories, producing new forms of knowledge on groups and sites, and great fluidity and flexibility in response to political ruptures and contingencies. This paper will situate Petra and Bedouins within those contexts to contribute to a better critical understanding of the fluctuating and shifting constructions of Jordanian national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The draining of the herein introduced ancient Lake Elji, and the subsequent erosion of its lacustrine sediments, were necessary precursors to the Late Epipalaeolithic (Natufian) and later settlement of Petra. This study investigates this geological history and relates it to human occupation of the broader region. Widespread carbonates consisting of algal mat deposits, beach rocks, and rhizoliths are consistently present at the 1060 m contour line of what is believed to be the shoreline of Lake Elji in the Petra basin. Well sorted siliciclastic fluvio-lacustrine sediments at lower elevations and human settlement patterns all indicate that a standing body of water once existed in the area. Stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen, as well as the fossil assemblages and the textures of the carbonate deposits, suggest that the body of water was an open lake with regular outflows. A sill has been identified at Ras Btahi, indicating a southward outflow direction, as opposed to the current drainage pattern towards the west. The lack of a basin closure towards the west at the time, as evidenced by thick, low energy sediment accumulations, suggest that tectonic movements were responsible for breaching the lake and establishing the current hydrological pattern. Results obtained from the optical stimulated luminiscence (OSL) in the palaeolake sediments indicate that the basin was closed from at least 100 Ka up to approximately 9 Ky. This timeline is also supported by the distribution of archaeological sites in the area and a previously documented massive erosional event at the end of this period. Subsequent gradual denudation of the basin sediments allowed for the settlement in the center of Petra during the Early Nabatean period. • The area of Petra was covered by a lake in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. • This lake significantly shrank in the Early Holocene as the climate changed. • Post Neolithic tectonism changed the drainage pattern in the area. • Continuous subsequent denudation of the sediments allowed for the existence of Petra as it is now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]