A team of archaeologists has made a remarkable discovery beneath the Treasury, or Al-Khazneh, in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. The excavation revealed a previously unknown tomb containing 12 skeletons and artifacts that are estimated to be around 2,000 years old.

Archaeologists have uncovered a previously unknown tomb beneath the Treasury, or Al-Khazneh, in the ancient city of Petra. Credit: University of St Andrews

The international team, including researchers from the University of St Andrews, the Jordanian Department of Antiquities, and the American Center of Research (ACOR), used remote sensing technology to locate the tomb. Led by Professor Richard Bates, a geophysicist from the University of St Andrews, the team initially aimed to ᴀssess the condition of the Treasury and its surrounding areas. Ground-penetrating radar detected probable underground chambers, leading to the excavation. According to Professor Bates, “The discovery is of international significance as very few complete burials from the early Nabataeans have ever been recovered from Petra before.”

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The excavation, which was featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown,” uncovered the tomb beneath one of the world’s most iconic monuments, Petra’s Treasury. Carved into the pink sandstone cliffs, the Treasury is a breathtaking example of Nabataean architecture. While its exact purpose remains debated, many scholars believe it may have been a mausoleum for Nabataean royalty, particularly King Aretas IV Philopatris, who reigned during the 1st century CE.

Al-Khazneh (The Treasury), Petra, Jordan. Credit: Abdullah Ghatasheh

Within the tomb, archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains of men, women, and children, along with grave goods made of bronze, iron, and ceramics. One skeleton was found holding a ceramic vessel resembling a chalice, which drew immediate comparisons to the Holy Grail depicted in the 1989 film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Tim Kinnaird, a research officer at the University of St Andrews’ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, conducted sediment analysis to date the tomb. The findings suggest that the tomb was constructed between the mid-1st century BCE and the early 2nd century CE. Kinnaird commented on the significance of this discovery, stating, “It’s fantastic that we now have the pottery, ecofacts, and sediments to date when the Treasury was constructed. Previously, we’ve worked on ᴀssumptions and conjectures – to have a definitive date will be a monumental achievement for us all.”

“This is a hugely rare discovery — in the two centuries that Petra has been investigated by archaeologists, nothing like this has been found before,” Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman, executive director of ACOR and one of the lead archaeologists told Live Science. The burials found beneath the Treasury provide crucial insight into the Nabataeans’ funerary practices, a subject about which little is known. While many Nabataean tombs have been found empty or disturbed over the centuries, the remains in this newly discovered tomb were largely intact.

The discovery of the tomb adds a significant piece to the puzzle of Petra’s history and the Nabataean civilization. With ongoing analysis of the human remains and artifacts, archaeologists hope to learn more about who these individuals were, their diets, physical labor, and possible familial relations. “They must be hugely important people because where they’re buried is such prime real estate; it really is the main entrance to the city,” Gates commented.

The findings also hold the potential to further understanding of Petra’s architectural timeline.

More information: University of St Andrews