Archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery in Petra Jordan tombs, unearthing human remains and an array of artifacts from a concealed tomb, according to The Times.
This ancient underground site, dating back approximately 2,000 years, may provide critical insights into the origins of the storied city and its builders.
Situated beneath Petra’s iconic Treasury, the tomb houses 12 remarkably preserved skeletons alongside hundreds of artifacts crafted from bronze, iron, and ceramics. The discovery was made by a collaborative US-Jordanian archaeological team, who worked in the shadow of the famed structure that has captured the imagination in films such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Given the tomb’s central location within this UNESCO World Heritage Site, experts surmise it was commissioned by individuals of considerable social stature. As excavations progress, lead archaeologist Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman, executive director of the American Center of Research, anticipates the recovery of hundreds more items.
The Treasury earned its name from an early misconception that it contained a pharaoh’s treasure, yet contemporary scholarship suggests it was a tomb erected by Nabataean King Aretas IV, who reigned from approximately 9 B.C. to 40 A.D. The latest findings support this view, indicating that the newly discovered tomb predates the Treasury itself.
Creasman’s team utilized luminescence dating to date the hidden tomb to the first century B.C., a technique that tracks the last time mineral grains were exposed to sunlight. The tomb’s existence was first identified through ground-penetrating radar technology.
Finding intact tombs with human remains is a rare occurrence in Petra. Although numerous tombs have been discovered in the area over the years, many have been empty, having undergone multiple uses throughout the centuries. “It is rare to find a tomb with human remains in Petra,” Creasman remarked. “So, when you do find one, that becomes extremely valuable.”
The earliest historical mention of the Nabataean civilization dates back to 312 B.C., when they successfully repelled an invasion led by Antigonus, a former general under Alexander the Great. “They just appear in the historical record, and then there is over a hundred years before we read about them again in texts, by which time they had developed a fully fledged society and Petra was being constructed as we know it today,” Creasman explained.
Despite the scarcity of information about early Nabataean society, ancient records suggest that this civilization was notably egalitarian, with little distinction between the tombs of the noble class and those of commoners.
The discovery of the Petra Jordan tombs could provide new insights into this ancient Arab society, shedding light on aspects such as diet and nutrition. “This will enhance our understanding of a shared regional past,” Creasman noted. “The Nabataeans were a multicultural trading society that thrived through their unity. I hope they might impart lessons relevant to us today.”