In the 2000s, the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, was designated as one of the “seven new wonders of the world”. This city with unique architecture is witness to the passage of the Nabataeans, ancient Arab nomads whose kingdom flourished from the 4the century BC to 106 AD. It notably includes an illustrious monument called La Khazneh, or “Pharaoh’s treasure”. In 2003, tombs were discovered there on the left part of the building, in secret underground chambers. But archaeologists have long believed that they were not the only ones.
A hypothesis which has just been verified with the discovery, in August 2024, of a new tomb on the right part of the monument, containing at least 12 human skeletons and objects whose age is estimated at at least 2,000 years, reports CNN Saturday October 12. It was unearthed as part of an expedition led by the teams of Dr Pearce Paul Creasman, executive director of the American Center of Research.
“An extremely rare discovery”
This major discovery was the subject of a special issue in the show Expedition Unknown on Discovery Channel, Wednesday October 9. “This is an extremely rare discovery. In the two centuries that archaeologists have studied Petra, nothing like this has been found before.”said host Josh Gates. According to researchers, it could be the largest collection of human remains found in one place in Petra.
The burial chamber contained complete skeletons, but also extremely well preserved bronze, iron and ceramic objects. One of them was notably a container resembling the Holy Grail, written CNN. A discovery all the more surprising when we know that La Khazneh served as the setting for the final scene of the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), where the hero goes in search of this mystical object. “It was truly an extraordinary moment”reacted Josh Gates.
“Unveil part of the history of the Treasury”
If the artifacts were in good condition, the skeletons showed fragility and mold, probably linked to the humidity and seasonal flooding of Petra. However, “the bones were not excavated or moved, which is extremely rarePearce Paul Creasman said. We hoped to find evidence that could tell us more about the ancient people and place, and human remains could be a very valuable tool in this regard..
Now, researchers are trying to precisely date the skeletons and use their DNA for possible identification. Other analyzes could assess their diet and determine if they had a job, according to the researcher. “They must be extremely important people, because the place where they are buried is a prime sitespecifies Josh Gates. I think learning who they are will really help uncover some of the Treasury’s history.. »
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