AIA Illustrated Lecture   Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) presents: "Petra: An Urban Oasis in the Arabian Desert" presented by Professor Leigh-Ann Bedal Monday, Sept 24, 2007 8 pm Great Hall, Student Union Save these dates for upcoming illustrated lectures: Monday, March 24, 2008: Roman Buildings on Coins Tuesday, April 08, 2008: Arthur Evans: The Palace of Minos at Knossos All lectures in this series are free and start at 8 pm in the Great Hall of the Student Union. For more information, please contact Professor Mark Farmer at 219.464.5097.   "Petra: An Urban Oasis in the Arabian Desert" Back by popular demand: Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom and hub of the caravan routes that supplied the Mediterranean World with incense and exotic goods. Professor Bedal will highlight in her talk the technological achievements of the Nabataeans, including their magnificent tombs carved out of the sandstone cliffs; a network of channels, dams, cisterns, and tunnels to transport water; and some of the most recent discoveries that reveal Petra’s splendor. Leigh-Ann Bedal is an Anthropologist at Penn State University. She has published widely, including a book on Petra’s infrastructure and water management, and several articles on ground-penetrating radar discoveries at Petra. Dinner with Professor Bedal To reserve a space for dinner with Professor Bedal before the Monday evening lecture, please call Professor Mark Farmer by 3:00 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 20: 219-464-5097. Please leave a message on voice-mail if he is not in. The dinner is in the Crusader Room, Valparaiso University Union, and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Although the lecture is FREE, the cost of the meal is $11.00 per person (make checks payable to AIA Valpo Society). There is ample parking around the Student Union.