An illustrated overview of the history and culture of the Nabateans and guide to the city of Petra, its art and architecture by two Italian archaeologists. With 97 color plates, archival drawings and maps. The remarkable city of Petra was for centuries capital of the Nabatean kingdom and a stop on the spice route. Later overtaken by the Roman Empire, the city was lost to the west until its rediscovery in 1812.  (MDE68, $45.00)