A team of underwater archaeologists from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli has detailed their discovery in the journal Antiquity. The religious structure, found near the port city of Pozzuoli in the Bay of Naples, features a rectangular layout, with two of its rooms designed in ancient Roman style.
This find off the coast of Pozzuoli (known to the ancient Romans as Puteoli) is remarkable as it represents the first known temple built by the Nabataeans in this region. Centuries of volcanic activity have buried the ancient sanctuary under layers of magma.
Interestingly, the nomadic Arab trading civilization of the Nabataeans is referenced in the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989). As previously reported by HouseWife, scientists recently uncovered a secret tomb within the legendary Nabataean mausoleum of Al-Khazneh in the Jordanian city of Petra.
What Did the Underwater Archaeologists Report?
The submerged structure is located approximately 45 meters from the coast of Pozzuoli. In 195 B.C., the Roman colony of Puteoli was established here, which later became the main port for the Romans, receiving goods from various parts of the empire—from wine and perfumes to textiles and grain.
In 2023, researchers stumbled upon an altar and slabs of white marble in this area of the Bay of Naples. The team dedicated the entire past year to underwater excavations of the discovered site, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Archaeologists found that the Nabataeans constructed the temple rooms using local materials. The slabs discovered in the first room bore an engraved Latin inscription reading “Dusari sacrum,” which translates to “dedicated to Dushara,” the chief god of Nabataean religion.
The second room housed two altars. Eight rectangular niches in the first altar once held sacred stones used in Nabataean worship. Meanwhile, the second altar contained three rectangular depressions.
The Nabataeans practiced a polytheistic religion influenced by ancient Greeks and Egyptians.
It is likely that the structure was built during a period of wealth and independence for the Nabataeans when they were among the trading partners of the Romans. “The creation of the sanctuary became possible when the Nabataeans enjoyed the freedom and opportunities afforded by their friendship with Rome and the independence of their homeland,” the team noted.
Archaeologists suggested that the temple was constructed during the reign of Emperor Augustus (31 B.C. – 14 A.D.) or Trajan (98–117 A.D.).
What Else Is Known About the Nabataeans?
The Nabataean Kingdom was an independent political entity from the mid-3rd century B.C. It thrived in the lands of modern-day Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia until it was conquered by the Roman Empire in 106 A.D.
Before the Roman annexation, this ancient Arab civilization controlled key trade routes along which caravans transported luxury goods from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean.