The rare discovery of an unlooted tomb that remained hidden for over two millenia beneath the iconic Treasury monument in the ancient city of Petra in Jordan has the world of archaeology watching in awe.
Archaeologists came across a most unexpected dig as they found twelve skeletons buried in the tomb, complemented by an additional wealth of findings.
Those included vessels in iron, bronze, and ceramic, one of whom was resembling the Holy Grail, according to the CNN – an odd deja vu from the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where Harrison Ford’s fictional character was searching for the Holy Grail at this very ancient site.
The exciting moments as the team descended into the ancient tomb and got a first glimpse of the burial were recorded on camera by the crew from Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” TV series, which had been invited to exclusively film the explorers’ venture.
The discovery took place in August but the news were only published earlier in October, ahead of the show’s new season premiere.
Petra tomb discovery offers new historical insights
The team of archaeologists had used ground-penetrating radar technology to discover the tomb earlier this year, but had to wait for permission from the Jordanian government before starting the excavation at the archaeological site of the Treasury.
“Recent archaeological work has uncovered a tomb — containing grave goods and skeletal remains — that offers new insights into the ancient city’s rich history,” The American Center of Research confirmed in a Facebook post.
“This work, made by a joint Jordanian/American project of the Department of Antiquities, the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, the Petra National Trust, and the American Center of Research, highlights the importance of ongoing research and preservation efforts at one of Jordan’s most iconic heritage sites,” the announcement added.
“This is a hugely rare discovery. In the two centuries that Petra has been investigated by archaeologists, nothing like this has been found before,” Josh Gates, host of the Discovery Channel show, told the CNN.
He believes that there are still “huge discoveries to be made” at the site.
Unraveling the mysteries of the ancient Nabataeans
Petra was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in the 2000s and is described by UNESCO as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage.”
Following the Petra tomb discovery, archaeologists are now hoping that they will finally be able to find out more about the origins and influence of the ancient tribe of the Nabataeans, the semi-nomadic Arabian civilization believed to have built the emblematic Treasury building in Petra.
The purpose of the Hellenistic style building, carved into the rose-red rock, has remained a mystery for contemporary scholars, as does most of the history of the Nabataeans.
