People settled in Wadi Rum thousands of years ago and struggled to survive in the harsh environment. They were hunters, shepherds, farmers and traders. It was once inhabited by the Nabataeans, who left behind many buildings and inscriptions, including a temple known today as the "Nabataean Temple".
Studies of cave paintings, petroglyphs (drawings carved into the rock) and the temples left behind have shown that human settlement in Wadi Rum dates back to the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. The area was rich in springs, had a mild climate and abundant groundwater.
Many civilizations and peoples came to Wadi Rum because of its unique geographic location between the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. These included: Edomites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Nabataeans and people of Islam.