Journal article
Aspects of Zoroastrian Traditions in Nabataean Petra
Journal of Eastern Mediterranean archaeology & heritage studies, Vol.13(3), pp.274-295
09/01/2025
DOI: 10.5325/jeasmedarcherstu.13.3.0274
Abstract
It is well-known that empires leave behind cultural footprints that linger for millennia. Influences in language, religion, art, and architecture are strongest. This being the case, it is surprising that there is little mention of Persian influences in southern Jordan because the Achaemenid Persians held sway over the region from the early fifth to the mid-fourth century BCE, and Artaxerxes II himself promoted the Zoroastrian cult of Anahita throughout his empire. Although discussions of Zoroastrianism in the region are rare, the remains of potential influences are there, imprinted in the archaeological record, especially in Nabataean funerary art and architecture and burial traditions. In this article, we argue that Zoroastrian practices became rooted in elite Arabian culture through centuries of interaction with the Iranian heartland, an imprinted memory that persisted into the Nabataean period. Archaeological and literary evidence indicates that Zoroastrian cult practices may have been widespread at Petra and regionally.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Aspects of Zoroastrian Traditions in Nabataean Petra
- Creators
- Jennifer Ramsay - SUNY BrockportAndrew M Smith II - George Washington UniversityBjörn Anderson - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of Eastern Mediterranean archaeology & heritage studies, Vol.13(3), pp.274-295
- DOI
- 10.5325/jeasmedarcherstu.13.3.0274
- ISSN
- 2166-3548
- eISSN
- 2166-3556
- Publisher
- Pennsylvania State University Press
- Number of pages
- 22
- Grant note
- American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR)Department of Antiquities of JordanAmerican Center of Research (ACOR) in AmmanPetra Archaeological Park
We extend our gratitude to the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) and the Stevan B. Dana project grant for enabling our fieldwork in the summer of 2024. We also appreciate the support from the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, their representative Abdullah al-Saket, as well as Qais Tweissi and the Petra Archaeological Park, the American Center of Research (ACOR) in Amman, and various other funding sources. Additionally, we would like to recognize the invaluable contributions of our team members from this past summer: Dr. Craig Harvey, Dr. Amanda Hardman, Dr. Matt Vincent, Josh Feland, and our ceramic virtual consultant, Dr. Sarah Wenner.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/01/2025
- Academic Unit
- Classics; School of Art, Art History, and Design
- Record Identifier
- 9985014894402771
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