Petra was founded around the sixth century B.C. by Nabataean Arabs, a nomadic tribe who settled in the area. At that time, the site was probably no more than a storage place for their plunder. They soon found, however, that it paid better to demand money from the caravans carrying silk and spices from the Far East in return for giving them safe conduct through their land. the Nabataeans gradually obtained more and more territory and consequently gained control over more caravan routes, establishing a commercial empire that extended between Arabia and Syria.