New dated inscriptions (Nabataean and pre-Islamic Arabic) from a site near al-Jawf, ancient Dūmah, Saudi Arabia

This article publishes eighteen inscriptions: seventeen in the Nabataean script and one in the pre-Islamic Arabic script, all from the area of al-Jawf, ancient Dūmat al-Jandal, in north-west Arabia. It includes the edition of the texts as well as a discussion of their significance. The pre-Islamic Arabic text, DaJ144PAr1, is dated to the mid-sixth century ad. It is important because it is the first text firmly dated to the sixth century ad from north-west Arabia. The Nabataean texts are interesting because they are dated to the beginning of the second century ad and they mention both cavalrymen (Nabataean pršyʾ) and a centurion (Nabataean qnṭrywnʾ).Wetensch. publicati

Strategoi in the Nabataean Kingdom : a reflection of Central Places?

This contribution examines the function and characteristics of the official known as ʾsrtgʾ (strategos) in the Nabataean inscriptions and ancient literary sources. It provides an updated list of the texts which mention a strategos as well as a list of the strategoi mentioned in them, as well as a general commentary on their role, distribution, career, prestige, etc. It appears that the strategoi are very much related to the Nabataean provincial system, the places where a strategos is known to have had an authority being central places in the Nabataean kingdom.CNRS, UMR 8167, ParisWetensch. publicati

Strontium isotope evidence for Pre-Islamic cotton cultivation in Arabia

With a view to understanding the dynamics of ancient trade and agrobiodiversity, archaeobotanical remains provide a means of tracing the trajectories of certain agricultural commodities. A prime example is cotton in Arabia, a plant that is non-native but has been found in raw seed and processed textile form at Hegra and Dadan, in the region of al-ʿUlā, north-western Saudi Arabia—sites of critical importance given their role in the trans-Arabian trading routes during Antiquity. Here, we demonstrate that the measurement of strontium isotopes from pre-cleaned archaeological cotton is methodologically sound and is an informative addition to the study of ancient plant/textile provenance, in this case, putting forward evidence for local production of cotton in oasis agrosystems and possible external supply. The presence of locally-grown cotton at these sites from the late 1st c. BCE–mid 6th c. CE is significant as it demonstrates that cotton cultivation in Arabia was a Pre-Islamic socio-technical feat, while imported cotton highlights the dynamism of trade at that time

L'espace cultuel de Pétra à l'époque nabatéenne

Nehmé Laïla. L'espace cultuel de Pétra à l'époque nabatéenne. In: Topoi, volume 7/2, 1997. pp. 1023-1067

New dated inscriptions (Nabataean and pre-Islamic Arabic) from a site near al-Jawf, ancient Dūmah, Saudi Arabia

This article publishes eighteen inscriptions: seventeen in the Nabataean script and one in the pre-Islamic Arabic script, all from the area of al-Jawf, ancient Dūmat al-Jandal, in north-west Arabia. It includes the edition of the texts as well as a discussion of their significance. The pre-Islamic Arabic text, DaJ144PAr1, is dated to the mid-sixth century ad. It is important because it is the first text firmly dated to the sixth century ad from north-west Arabia. The Nabataean texts are interesting because they are dated to the beginning of the second century ad and they mention both cavalrymen (Nabataean pršyʾ) and a centurion (Nabataean qnṭrywnʾ)

Guide to Hegra. Archaeology in the Land of the Nabataeans of Arabia

International audienc

Les inscriptions nabatéennes de Boṣrà

International audienc

U. Hübner, E.A. Knauf et R. Wenning (dir.), Nach Petra und ins Königreich der Nabatäer. Notizen von Reisegefährten.

Nehme Laila. U. Hübner, E.A. Knauf et R. Wenning (dir.), Nach Petra und ins Königreich der Nabatäer. Notizen von Reisegefährten.. In: Syria. Tome 78, 2001. pp. 261-264

Pétra et Hégra. Deux villes nabatéennes

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The religious landscape of North-west Arabia as reflected in the Nabataean, Nabataeo-Arabic, and pre-Islamic Arabic inscriptions

International audienceThis article examines the divine figures attested in the Nabataean, Nabataeo-Arabic and pre-Islamic Arabic inscriptions from the Arabian Peninsula from the 1st to the 6th century ad. The list of the divine figures attested in these texts, either mentioned as such or contained in theophoric names, is based on the examination of all the corpuses, published or unpublished, that are available to the author (from Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ, Taymāʾ and its region, Dūmat al-Jandal, etc.). The identification of about 400 divine names in the inscriptions allows us to create a picture of the deities who appear in different places at different times. Among the main conclusions are the identification of regional variations within the Nabataean kingdom and a decrease in the number of divine figures in the Nabataeo-Arabic and pre-Islamic Arabic inscriptions, in favour of figures such as mry ʿlmʾ and ʾlʾlh (masculine) and ʾlt, ʾlʿzʾ and mnwtw (feminine).Cet article examine les figures divines attestées dans les inscriptions nabatéennes, nabatéo-arabes et arabes préislamiques de la péninsule Arabique du ier au vie siècle après J.-C. La liste des figures divines attestées dans ces textes, qu’elles soient mentionnées comme telles ou contenues dans des noms théophores, est fondée sur l’examen de tous les corpus, publiés ou non, à la disposition de l’auteur (de Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ, de Taymāʾ et sa région, de Dūmat al-Jandal, etc.). L’identification d’environ 400 noms divins dans les inscriptions permet de dessiner une image des divinités qui apparaissent à différents endroits, à différents moments. Parmi les principales conclusions figurent l’identification de variations régionales au sein du royaume nabatéen et une diminution du nombre de figures divines dans les inscriptions nabatéo-arabes et arabes préislamiques au profit de figures telles que mry ʿlmʾ et ʾlʾlh (masculin) et ʾlt, ʾlʿzʾ et mnwtw (féminin)