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SEATTLE—Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America will show that terrace farming and dam construction began at Petra 2,000 years ago. Satellite images and new dating techniques indicate that the Nabataeans started growing wheat, grapes, and possibly olives in Jordan’s arid landscape later than previously thought, but continued the practice for nearly 1,000 years. “No doubt the explosion of agricultural activity in the first century and the increased wealth that resulted from the wine and oil production made Petra an exceptionally attractive prize for Rome,” said Christian Cloke of the University of Cincinnati.
