The Architecture of Petra: (1 British Academy Monographs in Archaeology)

The British Schools and Institutes abroad (which are funded by the British Academy) have sustained a high level of archaeological activity over the last 30 years. The series, concentrating on work in the Near East and Africa, will include major past excavations (such as Kathleen Kenyon's in Jerusalem, 1961-7) as well as the first substantial publications of young scholars developing programmes of research. All periods from prehistory to early modern times will be covered in the series, and archaeology is interpreted broadly to encompass the study of material culture in all its aspects. Petra in Jordan is famed for its baroque architecture carved out of pink sandstone by the Nabataeans. Both the dating and style of the monuments have long been problematic, in particular their relationship to the architectural scenes painted on the walls of Pompeii, Italy. This book attempts to date many of the famous Petra monuments, partly through comparison with similar rock-cut tombs at Medain Saleh, in Saudi Arabia. Secondly, the author presents and dates the little known remains of Ptotemaic Alexandria, the Hellenistic city founded by Alexander the Great.

Review :
"An important and wonderfully produced book....A paragon of exposition for detailing and illustrating the architecture of a single community and relating it to comparative evidence from other communities. In revealing the splendors of Petra, this book serves as a model for scholars approaching the study of all ancient cities."--Choice "Judith McKenzie's new book reconsiders all of the Classical structures at Petra, and is the new standard reference for its architecture....This book is very thorough, provides a convincing analysis of the development of architecture of Petra, and is extensively illustrated with plates of good quality....McKenzie is to be praised for providing a new standard source on Petra's architecture, as well as chapters of great interest on Hellenistic architecture in Alexandria and on the Second Style."--American Journal of Archaeology "An important addition to the long scholarly debate concerning the chronology of the spectacular rock-carved tomb facades of Petra....The Architecture of Petra is a vigorously informative survey of the vast but not easily available scholarly material on this enigmatic city at the fringes of the classical world."--Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians