In the city of Petra, Jordan, beneath the rock-hewn temple of Al-Khazneh, researchers have uncovered a two-thousand-year-old unknown tomb containing the remains of 12 individuals along with burial artifacts. Scientists made this discovery using ground-penetrating radar.
Al-Khazneh, or The Treasury, is one of the most remarkable landmarks in the Middle East. It has frequently served as a filming location for Hollywood blockbusters, including “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”
One of the individuals buried in the tomb was found clutching the upper part of a broken ceramic cup, reminiscent of the Holy Grail from the aforementioned film.
“When we saw something resembling the Grail cup, we all literally froze,” said American television host Josh Gates, who participated in the excavation. This discovery has become the subject of a new documentary by the Discovery Channel. According to Gates, it was an astonishing moment where art echoed life.
Why Is This Discovery Important?
“We had no idea that these excavations could completely change our understanding of The Treasury,” said Dr. Pierce Paul Chrisman, executive director of the American Research Center and head of the project.
The researchers were utterly astonished by the discovery of the hidden chamber. “Since nearly all tombs in Petra have been found empty, this may be the most significant tomb ever discovered here, and this finding is of historical magnitude,” Gates noted.
“It’s incredible that we now have ceramics, ecofacts, and deposits dating back to the time of The Treasury’s construction. Previously, we were working based on assumptions and guesses. Establishing an exact date will be a monumental achievement for us,” remarked ecologist Tim Kinnard from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
About Petra and Its Treasury
The ancient city of Petra was partially built and partially carved into the sandstone cliffs of a desert canyon in southern Jordan over 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans, a nomadic Arab tribe of Bedouins.
The city became their capital, which they named Rakmu. At one time, it was a hub of trade between the Mediterranean, Arabia, and Asia. Today, it stands as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, concealing many mysteries, as reported by Science Alert.
By 700 A.D., Petra had inexplicably fallen into disrepair. Eventually, no artifacts remained in the building of Al-Khazneh. No one truly knows how old The Treasury is or what it was used for. Interestingly, Al-Khazneh is referred to as The Treasury because it was believed that the urn crowning its facade contained gold and precious stones.
Archaeologists assert that the tomb was likely constructed as a mausoleum and crypt for King Aretas IV Philopatris in the early 1st century A.D.
This king ruled the Nabataeans from around 9 B.C. to 40 A.D. Under his reign, what was once a community of goat and sheep herders flourished into a kingdom dominated by wealthy traders. This prosperity allowed for the construction of numerous lavish buildings in Petra, which attracted the attention of the ancient Romans. Around 100 A.D., the powerful neighboring empire annexed Petra. The Romans ruled here for the next 300 years before gradually abandoning the city.
It remains unclear what happened to the Nabataeans after this event. They likely gradually assimilated into Roman society. Much of what we know about them comes from Roman chronicles.
“We can expect that the burial, possessions, and human remains will help fill in the gaps in our knowledge about how Petra emerged and who the Nabataeans were,” said geophysicist Richard Bates from the University of St. Andrews, a co-author of the study.