| RZ-51555-13 | Research Programs: Collaborative Research | North Carolina State University | Reimagining Urban Space: Petra in the 1st - 4th Centuries A.D. | 5/1/2014 - 10/31/2018 | $304,759.00 | S. Thomas | | Parker | Megan | | Perry | North Carolina State University | Raleigh | NC | 27695-0001 | USA | 2013 | Archaeology | Collaborative Research | Research Programs | 304759 | 0 | 304753.37 | 0 | Archaeological excavation and analysis of first through fourth century materials at the North Ridge of ancient Petra, Jordan. (36 months)
Diverse writers throughout history have commented on the overcrowded, dangerous, disease-ridden, and rubbish- and vermin-filled nature of urban life. Ancient cities in particular have been seen as demographic drains on rural populations, depending on immigrants from the rural countryside to sustain their population. Immigrants, less exposed to diseases supported by large populations or bringing with them their own disease pathogens, would profoundly impact the urban ecosystem. To what extent does this ecological model fit urban centers in antiquity? This project explores the urban ecosystem of Petra, an ancient city in Jordan, through analysis of human health, disease, diet, domestic space, and public health infrastructure. These data will be generated through the excavation of 1st century A.D. tombs and 1st - 4th centuries A.D. domestic structures on Petra's North Ridge. |