In this “Timelines” episode, we connect three iconic sites built during the same era: Petra’s stunning rock-cut city in Jordan, the mysterious Nazca Lines etched across Peru’s desert, and the monumental Great Wall of China. Explore how the Nabataeans engineered Petra’s hidden oasis, why the Nazca created massive geoglyphs only visible from above, and what drove dynasties to construct thousands of miles of wall across China. Discover the origins, uses, and enduring mysteries of these world wonders, and see how ancient ingenuity and ambition shaped civilizations across continents—all within a shared moment in history.

LinksSegment 1: Petra

Bedal, L. W. (2003). The Petra Pool Complex: A Hellenistic Paradeisos in the Nabataean Capital. American Journal of Archaeology.

Parr, P. J. (2013). “Petra.” In Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Wiley-Blackwell.

Schmid, S. G. (2001). “The Nabataeans: Travellers Between Lifestyles.” In Aram Periodical.

UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Petra

American Center of Research (ACOR) – Petra Archaeological Park

Bienkowski, P. (1990). Petra. British Museum Press.

Hammond, P. C. (1973). “The Nabataeans: Their History, Culture, and Archaeology.” Biblical Archaeologist.

Smithsonian Magazine – Petra’s Great Temple

Burckhardt, J. L. (1822). Travels in Syria and the Holy Land (rediscovery account).

Segment 2: Nazca Lines

Silverman, H., & Proulx, D. A. (2002). The Nasca. Blackwell Publishers.

Reindel, M., & Isla, J. (2001). “Nasca: Wunder der Wüste.” C.H. Beck.

UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa

Aveni, A. F. (2000). Between the Lines: The Mystery of the Giant Ground Drawings of Ancient Nasca, Peru. University of Texas Press.

National Geographic – Nazca Lines: Mystery on the Desert

Orefici, G. (2012). “Cahuachi: Capital of the Nasca World.” Andean Past.

Ancient History Encyclopedia – The Geoglyphs of Palpa, Peru

Silverman, H. (1993). Cahuachi in the Ancient Nasca World. University of Iowa Press.

Isla, J., & Reindel, M. (2016). “Nasca and the ‘Puquios’: Water and Ritual in the Peruvian Desert.” Antiquity.

Segment 3: Great Wall of China

Waldron, A. (1990). The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth. Cambridge University Press.

Lovell, J. (2006). The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC–AD 2000. Grove Press.

UNESCO World Heritage Centre – The Great Wall

Man, J. (2008). The Great Wall: The Extraordinary Story of China’s Wonder of the World. Da Capo Press.

Steinhardt, N. S. (1990). The Great Wall of China: Dynasties, Dragons, and Warriors. Oxford University Press.

The China Guide – Famous Sections of the Great Wall

State Administration of Cultural Heritage, China. “Archaeological Discoveries Along the Great Wall.”

Barfield, T. J. (1989). The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China. Blackwell.

Friends of the Great Wall – Research and Preservation

Contact

Chris Webster

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Rachel Roden

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RachelUnraveled (Instagram)

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