Petra North Ridge Tombs 1 and 2: Preliminary Report

In 1998-99, two Nabataean tombs were excavated in Petra. One contained intact burials that provide insight into the lives of one extended family: they led healthy, active lives, with few signs of stress or bony responses to chronic diseases, but fractures and other injuries show that they were occasionally prone to nonfatal falls. With age, they experienced degenerative conditions, such as degenerative joint disease (DJD) and vertebral osteophytosis. The individuals were buried during a short period of time with some interred simultaneously, but there were no signs of a shared traumatic event in the skeletal remains. Although the tombs were disturbed in antiquity, they yielded quantities of ceramics. These indicate that the tombs are from successive but overlapping time periods, and belong, in general, to the first century A. D. Comparison of the two groups gives insight into the development of Nabataean ceramics and places some of the well-known painted pottery into a context that includes the much more numerous plain wares.