In a discovery straight out of an adventure film, archaeologists have unearthed a hidden tomb containing the remains of 12 ancient skeletons beneath the iconic Treasury building in Petra, Jordan. The site served as a filming location for the 1989 blockbuster “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” and now it has yielded a find that has left researchers “absolutely stunned.”
Advanced ground-penetrating radar technology first detected the ancient tomb, believed to be older than the Treasury itself. A team of American and Jordanian researchers, led by Professor Pearce Paul Creasman of the American Center of Research, then set out to excavate the site.
Creasman told The New York Times, “We were quite shocked that they did give us permission to go in and survey,” noting that bureaucratic red tape and a lack of funding had hampered previous attempts to explore the area.
But when the team began digging, they made a remarkable discovery. They discovered a hidden chamber beneath the surface, separated by a set of walls—a feature never before seen in the ancient city of Petra.
Inside the tomb, the researchers found the skeletal remains of 12 individuals, dating back to the period between 400 B.C. and AD 106. Alongside the bones, they also unearthed a trove of artifacts made from bronze, iron, and ceramic.
“We were absolutely stunned by the revelation of this hidden chamber,” said Josh Gates, host of the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown,” which featured the discovery in a recent episode.
One of the most intriguing finds was a ceramic vessel that, according to Gates, “looked nearly identical to the Holy Grail featured in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.'” However, upon further examination, the vessel turned out to be the top part of a broken jug, not the mythical cup from the film.
Still, the discovery has left researchers eager to uncover more of the Nabataean civilization’s secrets. Creasman believes the tomb could provide valuable insights into how the Nabataeans lived and buried their dead, potentially even through the recovery of ancient DNA.
“This work will shed light on the Treasury itself, particularly its construction and date,” Creasman said. “The material recovered from our excavation has great potential to inform us about the early history of Petra and, possibly, the origins of the Nabataeans, too.”
The Nabataeans were a powerful ancient kingdom that made Petra their capital around the fourth century B.C. The city is known for its intricate, hand-carved architecture, including the iconic Treasury building that has become a symbol of Petra and a popular tourist destination.
Petra has long been a source of fascination for archaeologists and historians, but many of its secrets have remained elusive. The discovery of this hidden tomb underneath the Treasury is a tantalizing clue that there may be much more to uncover.
“People think they know Petra,” Creasman said. “They recognize the Treasury, but all these people walk by, and there’s so much more under our feet.”
The researchers are now working to fully excavate the tomb and study its contents in the hopes of shedding new light on the Nabataean civilization and the purpose of the Treasury itself. Advanced technology and a renewed commitment to exploration position them to uncover more of Petra’s hidden treasures.
“This is perhaps the most significant tomb ever found at Petra and a discovery of historic proportions,” Gates said.
As the world-renowned site of Petra continues to reveal its secrets, the discovery of this hidden tomb serves as a tantalizing reminder that there is always more to uncover, even in the most familiar of places. For the archaeologists and researchers working to unlock the mysteries of this ancient city, the adventure has only just begun.