Petra | Before the Nabataeans

Although most people associate Petra with the Nabataeans, in fact man lived in and around the area long before their arrival. Just to the north of Petra, near the site of "Little Petra", on the Siq Al-Barid, found the remains of the farming village of Beidha, inhabited from 7000 to 6500 BC. This was the period when man was making the transition from a nomadic, hunting and gathering lifestyle to a sedentary one, in which he cultivated cereals and tamed animals.

Petra Guide: Before the Nabataeans | Beidha | The Edomites | The Nabataeans | Farming | Caravan City | The Nabataean Language | Religion | Houses | Pottery | Prosperity and Decline | Christianity and After | Aaron's Tomb Petra |Tourist Information