Dr. Christopher A. Tuttle is one of the world's leading authorities on Petra and the Nabataean civilization. His nearly two decades of archaeological fieldwork in Jordan's iconic rose-red city, combined with his deep understanding of Hellenistic and Roman-period Middle East, makes him an unparalleled guide for travelers seeking to understand one of humanity's most spectacular ancient sites and the sophisticated culture that created it.

Chris holds a Ph.D. from Brown University's prestigious Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, where his research centered on the Nabataeans—the Arab people who carved the magnificent monuments at Petra and controlled the lucrative incense trade routes connecting Arabia, the Mediterranean, and beyond. His academic training in Classical and Medieval Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, provides him with the broader Mediterranean context essential for understanding Petra's place in the ancient world.

What distinguishes Chris as an archaeological guide is not just his scholarly expertise but his intimate, lived experience with Jordan and the broader Middle East. He spent nearly 15 years living and working full-time in the region—first in Jerusalem, then in Amman—immersing himself in Middle Eastern culture, building relationships with local communities, and developing the cultural fluency that transforms academic knowledge into authentic understanding.

From 2006 to 2014, Chris served as Associate Director of the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman, Jordan's premier institution for archaeological research in the Levant. In this role, he directed multiple field projects in Petra while supporting the work of archaeological missions throughout the region. This position gave him unparalleled access to ongoing research, connections with scholars from around the world, and deep insights into Jordan's archaeological landscape beyond just Petra.

Chris's expertise in Petra is comprehensive and unique. Unlike guides who rely on secondhand knowledge, he has directed excavations at the site, published scholarly research on Nabataean architecture and urban planning, and spent countless hours exploring Petra's monuments, understanding their construction techniques, deciphering their symbolic meanings, and piecing together the daily life of the people who built them. He can explain how the Nabataeans engineered their sophisticated water management systems, why certain tombs have particular architectural features, what the inscriptions reveal about Nabataean society, and how this Arab kingdom navigated relationships with Roman power.

His guiding experience includes leading educational tours throughout Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey, as well as a special diplomatic tour to ancient Hegra (Madain Saleh) in Saudi Arabia—the Nabataeans' second major city. Chris has guided some of the world's most distinguished visitors through Petra, including former U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, numerous Congressional Delegations, former Governor-General of Australia Dame Quentin Bryce, and UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. He assisted with organizing President Barack Obama's 2013 tour of Petra, demonstrating his ability to provide world-class interpretation to the highest levels of international leadership.

Chris's expertise has been recognized by major media outlets worldwide. He has appeared as an expert presenter in television documentaries about Petra that have aired on BBC, Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, and Travel Channel, bringing Nabataean civilization to millions of viewers and establishing him as a public authority on the ancient city. Following his time at ACOR, Chris served for three years as Executive Director of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) in Washington, D.C., where he represented American archaeological research institutions worldwide and advocated for international scholarly cooperation—experience that deepened his understanding of how archaeology connects to contemporary cultural diplomacy and heritage preservation.