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Have you ever dreamt of stepping back in time, of uncovering the secrets of a lost civilization? Imagine a city carved into sheer rock faces, a testament to human ingenuity and resilience. This is Petra, and thanks to explorer Albert Lin and the magic of technology, we can journey through time to uncover its hidden origins.
"Petra is not the beginning of the story. It's the end. There's another lost city carved into the rock somewhere near here. I'm hoping to find the hidden origins of one of the greatest cities the world's ever seen." - Albert Lin
In the National Geographic special, Lost Cities with Albert Lin: Petra's Hidden Origins, we're whisked away to the deserts of Jordan, the ancestral home of the Nabataeans, the ingenious minds behind Petra. Lin, armed with 21st-century technology, sets out to discover what came before the grandeur of Petra.
His journey begins with the Bedouin, descendants of the Nabataeans, who still traverse the vast desert landscape. They guide Lin to ancient rock art, signposts left by their ancestors, pointing the way to precious water sources. These markings, meticulously scanned and geotagged, reveal the Nabataeans' secret weapon: their mastery of water in an unforgiving environment.
This knowledge led them to establish their first permanent settlement, not in Petra, but in a seemingly barren mountaintop called Sela. Using LiDAR technology, Lin's team uncovers a network of over 50 underground water tanks, a testament to the Nabataeans' ability to adapt and thrive.
"They were Nomads at the beginning, like the wind. And then there was a shift in their consciousness. They started to be attached to the land. That's a very important moment when they moved from tents to caves. They're turning the landscape into a home, a permanent home." - Albert Lin
But the Nabataeans didn't stop there. They craved more than survival; they sought beauty, order, and connection. The ruins of Herbet ed-Dharih, another Nabataean city, showcase this evolution. Here, we see the emergence of a centralized city plan, complete with a grand temple, a testament to their growing wealth and sophistication.
Finally, we arrive at Petra, the pinnacle of Nabataean achievement. Lin, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Dana Firas, uncovers a hidden fresco, revealing a vibrant, lush city, a far cry from the desert landscape we see today. This stunning artwork, coupled with the discovery of an intricate water management system, including terraces, dams, and channels, paints a picture of a civilization that not only survived but thrived by bending nature to its will.
The story of Petra is a testament to human potential, a reminder that even in the harshest environments, innovation and adaptation can lead to extraordinary achievements. Thanks to Albert Lin's journey through time, we can now appreciate the full scope of the Nabataeans' legacy, a legacy etched not just in stone, but in the very fabric of human history.
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