NOVA 42x15 - Petra - Lost City of Stone

More than 2,000 years ago, the thriving city of Petra rose upin the bone-dry desert of what is now Jordan. An oasis ofculture and abundance, the city was built by wealthy merchantswhose camel caravans transported incense and spices from theArabian Gulf. They carved spectacular temple-tombs into itssoaring cliffs, raised a monumental Great Temple at itsheart, and devised an ingenious system that channeled water tovineyards, bathhouses, fountains, and pools. But following acatastrophic earthquake and a slump in its desert traderoutes, Petra's unique culture faded and was lost to most ofthe world for nearly a thousand years. Now, in a daringexperiment, an archaeologist and sculptors team up to carve aniconic temple-tomb to find out how the ancient people of Petrabuilt their city of stone. Meanwhile, scientists using remotesensors and hydraulic flumes uncover the vast city and itssophisticated water system. The race is on to discover howthese nomads created this oasis of culture in one of theharshest climates on Earth.