Agrarian legacies and innovations in the Nabataean territory

Abstract

The Nabataeans, a nomadic people inhabiting the southern Near East from the end of the 4th century BC, are mainly known for their trade activities along the Incense Road. Recent scientific advances have shown the importance of agro-pastoral activities within the Nabataean kingdom. However, few studies have addressed the identification of the existing agrosystems and the kinds of associated plant production. This paper focuses on agrarian plant resources exploited in the Nabataean territory by analysing the carpological and anthracological data from four sites (Bosra, Dharih, Petra, Hegra) presented Nabataean and Roman layers dated between the 2nd century BC and the end of the 3rd century AD. The results obtained show the existence of farming systems combining annual and perennial crops, responding efficiently to different economic needs (including food, technical raw materials and fuel). Fruit trees were important and their distribution mainly correlated with climate and topographic constraints. Semi-arid sites developed Mediterranean agroforestry systems while the only arid area site developed an oasis agrosystem. Crop production was directly inherited from preceding periods while the presence of cotton in the Hegra oasis reflects innovative agricultural and technical processes probably related to Nabataean trade activities.