Nabatean Perfume and Spice Road in the Negev

The demand for perfumes and spices in the Greco-Roman world was enormous; and it is this demand that made the fortune of the Nabateans. After the Roman annexation of the Nabatean Kingdom in 106 AD the Roman army took over control of this area which it maintained until the 3rd century AD. This particular section of the road was an essential part of the Nabatean trade route and constitutes a missing link in our knowledge of the subject. Given the location of the sites within an extremely arid region the conservation of structures and small finds, including organic materials, is outstanding.