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Articles

• al‐Salameen, Zeyad

The Nabataean period (c. 312 BC‐ AD 106) stands out as a period of prosperity, expansion, cultural growth and a relative political unity. It is clear that the Nabataean commercial activities as well as their involvement in the lucrative trade of aromatics had been the major acknowledged influence on the Nabataean urban settlements, economic development and architectural renaissance. This paper focuses on the international Nabataean relations with the west and their influences on the Nabataean cultural achievements. The specific question of this work investigates the influence of international maritime and long distance trade as well as the influence of Asia Minor on the Nabataean culture. It discusses the south‐western Asia Minor archaeological evidence uncovered in Nabataea. Attention focuses on the nature and extent of the Nabataean material remains found in the Mediterranean and south west Anatolia and discusses the south‐western Anatolian influence on the cultural achievements of the Nabataeans.

• History and Archaeology

• Archaeology and history

Nabataeans, Nabataean trade, Mediterranean basin, southwestern Anatolia, Asia Minor, Lycia

Corresponding author: zmslameen@yahoo.com, The writing of this paper could not have been completed without the assistance and encouragement of many people and institutions. Foremost among them is the Council of American Overseas Research Centers and Getty foundation for granting me a fellowship to conduct this research and to spend a month in Turkey which was instrumental in steering my raw ideas into thoughts and arguments contained herein. During my visit I had the opportunity to benefit from the library of the American Research Institute in Ankara “ARIT” and to benefit from discussions with a number of scholars interested in south western Anatolian archaeology. Many thanks are due to Dr Ilknur Ozgen from Bilkent University for helping me during my visit to some of the Lycian sites. Many thanks are due also to Mr. Ben Coockson from the Bilkent University for providing me with photographs of some Lycian rock‐cut facades and to Lucy Wadeson for reading the draft version of this paper.