Intact Tomb Found in Petra is Straight Out of Indiana Jones
The third Indiana Jones movie is arguably the best, and its climactic set piece features a wonder of the world. Known as the Khaznah el-Far’oun, or “treasury of the pharaoh” this rose red edifice carved into the rockface dates back to the 1st century AD.
It has been known for some time that something lies hidden in the rock beneath the courtyard in front of the Khaznah. Archaeologists identified two “voids” hidden underground which they believed to be tombs as early as 2003. Additional and even deeper voids were discovered this year using ground penetrating radar, as reported by the Acor Jordan Newsletter.
This was enough for the team of archaeologists headed by Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman of the American Center of Research to seek permission from the Jordanian Government to excavate one of the voids, as reported by CNN. And what they found was incredible: an intact tomb with 12 skeletons and a wealth of grave goods.
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It is very unusual to discover intact tombs like this. Almost every tomb from antiquity is either long since looted for its treasures or otherwise destroyed. Not so here, and in fact this may be the largest communal grave ever discovered here.
Petra was a city built by the Nabateans, an ancient Arab people who formed a powerful independent kingdom in the 4th century BC. The envy of the region, they flourished until they were conquered by the Romans in 106 AD. Petra is undoubtedly the jewel in the Nabatean crown.
It is hoped that the finds will be able to tell us much about these ancient people and their burial rites. And with further, deeper tombs believed to be hidden underground this may be just the beginning of the story of the secrets of Petra.
Header Image: Al Khazneh in Petra: the tomb has been discovered in the “courtyard” area in the foreground. Source: Adeeb Atwan / CC BY 3.0.
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