Rome and the Arabian frontier from the Nabataeans to the Saracens

Recent archaeological work has provided the basis for a re-examination of the cultural dynamics between the desert and town on the Arabian Frontier of the Roman Empire. These studies include discussions of the background of the resident Nabataean Arab Kingdom, the formations of the province of Arabia, and the integration of the indigenous sedentary and Nomadic population into the imperial system. The analysis involves the issues of urbanization, demography, transportation, trade, borders and defence - and reaches to the period of Islamic conquests.