Once having lived east and southeast of Palestine, the Nabateans were an ancient Arabic people who maintained their independence from 312 B.C. to 106 A.D., at which time they finally submitted to Roman rule.

A powerful trading nation, the Nabateans (also spelled Nabataeans) borrowed from the best of Hellenistic and Roman cultures to produce a unique artistic tradition of their own. At the hidden capital of Petra, their stonework reached its zenith in the fabulous tombs carved from rock. This lively head shows the strong influence of Greek naturalism blended with a naive stylization of form. The sculptor has imbued his subject with a vivid personality that transcends the boundaries of mere stone.