Behind the Façade: A Step inside the Rock-Cut Tombs of Petra

presented by Dr Lucy Wadeson

The ancient city of Petra is characterised by the hundreds of monumental tombs that are carved in its rocky landscape. While the decorative façades of these tombs have received much attention in scholarship, the interiors are often overlooked because they were looted and lived in over the centuries. This lecture will examine the little-known burial chambers and funerary space behind these façades based on Dr Wadeson’s surveys and excavations. The elusive burial customs of the Nabataeans will be elucidated, and we will explore their fascinating practice of dining with the dead.

Dr Lucy Wadeson is a classical archaeologist specialised in the material culture of the Greco-Roman Near East. In particular, she is an expert on the Nabataean kingdom and its principal city, Petra, where she directs her own excavations of tombs in the royal necropolis. Since a young age, Lucy has been fascinated with the Mediterranean and Middle East, and her travels and international academic positions have allowed her to immerse herself in local languages and cultures, and she is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and passion for the ancient world. Read more about Lucy on her tour leader page.