In the deserts of Jordan, a city lies hidden for centuries in a valley of rose-red stone... In this episode, we look at one of the most peculiar stories of civilizational survival to come down to us from the ancient world, the story of the Nabataeans. Find out how these once humble traders rose to become masters of the desert sands, and to defy empires. And discover what happened to finally bring down the empire of Nabataea. ** Fall of Civilizations the book is now available to pre-order: linktr.ee/fallofcivilizations ** SOURCES: https://www.patreon.com/posts/68007454 Credits: Voice actors: Nick Denton Jay Forrester Shem Jacobs Annie Kelly Paul Casselle Sound engineering by Alexey Sibikin Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT6Y5JJPKe_JDMivpKgVXew/join Chapters 0:00 - Intro: Johann Ludwig Burckhardt 10:20 - Sandstone 14:45 - Early Evidence of the Nabateans 16:20 - The Nomadic Life 22:05 - Frankincense and Myrrh 32:24 - The City of Petra and Water 42:22 - Petra as a Hub of Trade 44:49 - War Comes to the Desert 59:41 - Sources on the Nabateans 1:02:26 - Women in Nabatean Society 1:06:38 - King Aretus and extent of the Kingdom (Petra recognized as capital 129 BC) 1:09:42 - The Khazneh 1:12:34 - Daily Life in Nabataea 1:15:40 - Religion and Gatherings 1:18:47 - Nabataean Inscriptions 1:24:49 - Aelius Gallus’ Expedition and Syllaeus 1:34:45 - Annexation by Rome 1:41:23 - Decline of Petra’s Influence 1:45:27 - The Earthquake of 363 AD 1:52:27 - The Years Following 1:56:51 - The Poetry of Tarafa