October 2004
PETRA: LOST CITY OF STONE, THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE EXHIBITION
EVER PRESENTED ON THE STUNNING ART AND CULTURE OF THIS
ANCIENT NEAR-EASTERN CROSSROADS, TO OPEN ON APRIL 4, 2005, AT
PRINCE CONFERENCE CENTER, CALVIN COLLEGE
Landmark Exhibition Features Outstanding Treasures from Jordan,
Including Examples of Monumental Nabataean Architectural Elements,
Many on View for the First Time Outside Jordan
Petra: Lost City of Stone, the most comprehensive exhibition ever presented on the ancient city
of Petra, and its creators, the Nabataeans, opens at the Prince Conference Center at Calvin
College on Monday, April 4, 2005.
Organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum and American Museum of Natural History, New York
under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan, with air transportation generously provided by Royal Jordanian, Petra is the first major
cultural collaboration between Jordan and the United States. This groundbreaking exhibition, on
view in Grand Rapids through Monday, August, 15 2005, offers North American audiences the
opportunity to learn about the ancient metropolis of Petra, which was literally carved from the
red sandstone in the harsh desert cliffs of southern Jordan. From the first century B.C. to the
second century A.D., Petra was a major crossroads of international trade routes linking India and
southern Arabia with the markets of Syria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. For much of its history,
Petra was governed by the Nabataeans, renowned for their great skills in trade, agriculture,
engineering, and architectural stone-carving.
“With its complex intermingling of nature and culture,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the
American Museum of Natural History, “the fascinating story of Petra mirrors the very work and
mission of the Museum. For more than 130 years, our curators have studied relationships
between nature and humanity. Understanding how other cultures flourish, grow, and spread has
perhaps never been more relevant than it is today, as we embrace the challenges and
opportunities of living in a truly global community.”
“Petra is a story not only of the Nabataeans but also of the unique collaboration between Jordan
and the United States,” said Timothy Rub, Director of the Cincinnati Art Museum. “In a time of
turmoil, the United States and Jordan have formed a unique partnership that will serve to foster
cultural understanding. Just as Petra was a center of global commerce in ancient times, we are
bridging cultural divides in our global society through this exhibition.”
Petra: Lost City of Stone features approximately 200 exceptional objects on loan from
collections in Jordan and Europe—many on view for the first time in the United States—and
from collections in the United States. Stone sculptures and reliefs, ceramics, metalwork,
stuccowork, ancient inscriptions, and a selection of 19th century paintings, drawings, and prints
will be displayed alongside architectural groupings from several well-known Nabataean
monuments. Among the highlights of the exhibition are several pieces recently discovered by
archaeologists working in Jordan such as an elephant-headed capital from Petra, a beautifully
sculpted frieze from a Nabataean temple at Khirbet ed-Dharih, and a monumental bust of the
Nabataean God Dushara, on public display outside Jordan for the first time. The extraordinary
2
objects, coupled with the immersive exhibition design, will showcase the Nabataeans’ spectacular
accomplishments
in
a
uniquely
challenging
geographic
setting,
revealing
their
technological and artistic virtuosity which enabled Petra to prosper for centuries as the epicenter of the
ancient world’s thriving commerce.
First conceived by the Cincinnati Art Museum in 1994, Petra: Lost City of Stone has been organized by
Cincinnati Art Museum and American Museum of Natural History, New York. The American Museum
of Natural History has been renowned for more than 130 years as a leader in archaeological fieldwork and
research, and has a long tradition of presenting comprehensive and compelling exhibitions that illuminate
complex cultural and scientific issues. The Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM), one of the oldest and most
significant visual arts institutions in the United States, has an extraordinarily rich permanent collection
representing many cultures and historical periods, including the most extensive collection of Nabataean
sculpture outside Jordan. CAM’s Nabataean collection came from excavations done in 1937 at the site of
Khirbet et-Tannur, the finds of which were ultimately divided between CAM and the Jordan
Archaeological Museum in Amman. Petra reunites highlights of the two collections, which contain some
of the most important works of Nabataean art extant. The Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and its
Department of Antiquities have enabled the development of this project, along with the American Center
of Oriental Research in Amman. After its premiere at the American Museum of Natural History in New
York, Petra traveled to the Cincinnati Art Museum in September 2004 and subsequently to several other
venues in the United States and Canada including Grand Rapids, MI, Calgary and Ottawa.
“Petra is the story of the remarkable transformation of the Nabataeans, who evolved from nomads to city
dwellers in a relatively short period of time, and who built—literally carved from the rock—one of the
great urban complexes of the ancient world,” said Glenn Markoe, Curator of Classical and Near Eastern
Art and Art of Africa and the Americas, Cincinnati Art Museum. “It is also a story of the rediscovery of
this lost civilization through physical exploration in the early 19th century, and then through scientific,
archaeological, and ecological research, which now makes it possible to relate the history of the
Nabataeans in exhibition format.”
“Petra is one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological sites, combining an extraordinary natural
landscape and monumental buildings,” said Craig Morris, Senior Vice President, Dean of Science, and
Curator, Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History. “The exhibition re-creates
many aspects of this impressive natural and human setting using artworks, photographs, and actual
architectural elements to tell the fascinating story of life in this ancient city through the eloquent beauty of
the work of its people.”
“It has been such a pleasure to be involved with the American Museum of Natural History and this
historic exhibition on the beautiful Jordanian city of Petra,” said Lionel Pincus, American Museum of
Natural History Trustee. “Princess Firyal and I hope the exhibition will give visitors a sense of the
peacefulness and ingenuity of this ancient civilization of very diverse peoples, and will help to foster
cultural understanding at this critical time in world events."
Petra and the Nabataeans
Located near the Jordan Rift Valley at the crossroads of international trade routes, Petra was one of the
most influential and prosperous commercial centers in antiquity. The forbidding desert was transformed
by the Nabataeans into a bustling metropolis with monumental tombs carved directly into the red
sandstone hills and thousands of other structures including temples, burial chambers, funerary banquet
halls, residences, and theaters. Through a complex system of water channels and reservoirs, skilled
Nabataean engineers developed and maintained an elaborate network of damming, terracing, and
irrigation that allowed them to maximize the agricultural potential of the surrounding plateau. The
development of Nabataean writing coincided with and facilitated urbanization, and the rich cultural life of
3
the city reflected a confluence of Eastern and Western styles and traditions. From the first century B.C.
through the third century A.D., Petra prospered. Following the earthquake in 363 A.D. many historians
believe Petra was destroyed and although partially revived after that, Petra was no longer the economic
powerhouse it had been. Much of the technological infrastructure that had made life in Petra possible fell
into disuse, and changes in the ancient world led to the eventual abandonment of the city in the seventh
century A.D. However, after the earthquake Petra became a hotbed for the growth of Christianity.
Interestingly, the Christians in Petra took the materials from the pagan temples that had been destroyed
and used them to build churches and chapels. That's been an untold part of the Petra story.
From its rediscovery by Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812, Petra, with the mystery and splendor
of its rock-carved architectural ruins, its savage beauty, and the variegated color of its cliff faces, has been
a source of deep fascination for Westerners. It became a major pilgrimage site for 19th century European
and American artists and other travelers and it continues to enthrall. It was even used as a location for the
popular 1989 feature film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
For more information about the Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibit, running April 4 – August 15, 2005, at
the Prince Conference Center, contact Calvin College at 3201 Burton S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49546;
616.526.7800; 800.PETRA05; or log on to www.calvin.edu/petra. Exhibit hours: M/W/F/Sat.,
Memorial Day and Fourth of July, 9:30am-6pm; T/TH, 9:30am – 9pm; Closed Sunday.
-end-
______________________________________________________
For Release:
October 2004
Calvin College
Phil deHaan
Director of Media Relations
616.526.6475
dehp@calvin.edu
Professional Marketing
Diane M. Jones
President
616.949.9104
pmconsulting@aol.com
______________________________________________________
About Calvin College
Founded in 1876, Calvin College has become one of the largest Christian colleges in North America with over 4,000 students
from the U.S., Canada and another 50 countries around the globe. Calvin College offers nearly 100 majors and areas of study
and has 10 off-campus program options for students, including such places as China, Ghana, and Honduras. Calvin is widely
recognized for its outreach by means of scholarly study and works of art by its faculty and by student and alumni service in their
various communities. Special events also broaden Calvin’s outreach. Among them is the biennial Conference on Faith and
Writing, which brings noted writers to campus, and the annual widely-recognized January Series, a 15-day educational and
cultural series, which brings to campus internationally recognized musicians and scholars on timely topics. The archaeological
exhibit Petra: Lost City of Stone is brought to Calvin College as part of its dedication to community education and outreach.