These walls were constructed in the first century AD, but they did not form a circuit around Palmyra.[1] They did not include protective towers,[2] and not only surrounded the residential areas, but also the gardens of the oasis which allowed Palmyra to exist. Many areas where natural formations provided protection were not fortified; for example, the western side of the city, naturally protected by the slopes of the Palmyrene mountains, was not protected by those walls. These early fortifications provided the city and its garden with protection against the sands of the Syrian Desert, kept the Bedouin bandits outside, and enabled the city to control the commercial activities.[3]