Unit 10
Lesson 1
Student’s Book pages 78-79
Ancient civilisations
Before you begin
1 Look at the photographs of Petra. Do you know who lived there in the past? What do you think life was like back then? Discuss with a partner.
Petra
The Nabatean Empire
The key words
|
The word / phrase |
The meaning |
The part of speech |
|
commercial |
related to business and the buying or selling of goods and services |
Adjective |
|
illiterate |
not having learnt to read or write |
Adjective |
|
migrate |
to travel from one part of the world to another |
Verb |
|
trade |
to buy and sell goods and services, etc. |
Verb |
|
inscriptions |
a piece of writing carved into a stone, rock, etc. |
Noun |
|
Aramaic |
a language which is an ancestor of Arabic, spoken by people in some countries in the Middle East and Ethiopia |
Noun |
While reading
Who were the Nabateans
In Petra, Jordan, there lie the remains of a majestic city carved out of the desert rock. This city was the main area inhabited by the Nabateans, who migrated gradually from Arabia. Originally, they were a nomadic people who chose to settle in various places, such as southern Jordan, the Naqab Desert and northern Arabia.
There is little known about the lifestyle of the Nabateans, except that they were important traders in the ancient world. They might have traded goods such as spices, gold and animals with civilisations such as China, India and Rome because of their convenient position at a commercial crossroads in the world.
Many Roman writers wrote about what the Nabatean culture must have been like, but no one knows for sure. However, they agree that the language of the Nabateans could have been a mixture of Arabic and Aramaic. These Roman writers also say that the Nabateans were ruled by a royal family, and that, unlike many cultures in the ancient world, the Nabatean society might not have used any slaves. In addition to that, the Nabateans must have been expert engineers because they managed to build complicated water conservation systems in the desert terrain.
Despite archaeologists’ best efforts, there is a limit to what they can tell us about these fascinating people who lived in Jordan such a long time ago. Although it is still difficult to know much, they can’t have been illiterate because there are some inscriptions that remain. However, sadly for us, most of the things the Nabateans made and owned have been too easily destroyed by time or lost in the desert.
The text talks about:
- Where the Nabateans chose to live after emigrating from Arabia.
- The Nabateans were excellent engineers.
- The Nabatean culture was different from other ancient cultures.
- The Nabateans were nomads before they chose to settle in Petra.
After reading
The Nabatean culture was different from other ancient cultures. Explain that justifying your answer.
The Nabateans were ruled by a royal family, and that, unlike many cultures in the ancient world, the Nabatean society might not have used any slaves. In addition to that, the Nabateans must have been expert engineers because they managed to build complicated water conservation systems in the desert terrain. Also, they can’t have been illiterate because there are some inscriptions that remain.