The Ceramic Oil Lamp as an Indicator of Cultural Change Within Nabataean Society in Petra and Its Environs Circa Ce 106 (Gorgias Dissertations)

Can an altered perception in the Nabataean worldview be detected at the time of the Roman annexation of Petra, Jordan, in CE106? The analysis of ancient ceramic oil lamps from three sacred/ceremonial sites in the area provides evidence for this cultural change.

How did the Nabataeans view their world at the time of the Roman annexation in CE 106? If it is possible to detect an altered perception after their monarchy was dissolved at that time, how can we be sure it was authentic and not a veneer, masking the identity of a disaffected people? One approach is to consider religious practice as a diagnostic for identity within Nabataean society. Religious practice is examined through the ceramic oil lamp, a ubiquitous vessel that can portray socio-political and religious symbolism and cultural hybridization.

Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface Abbreviations 1. Introduction and Theoretical Concerns 2. The Geography and History of Nabataea 3. Sacred and Ceremonial Sites 4. The Ceramic Oil Lamp, Function, Form and Type 5. Distribution of Lamps within the Sites 6. Cultural change and Religious Identity: A Worldview Reconsidered Bibliography Index