In the heart of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, carved into the pink sandstone rocks is an elaborate monument known as the Khazna or Treasury, NOVA reported.
Archaeologists recently discovered that beneath this building is a tomb containing at least 12 human skeletons and artifacts estimated to be at least 2,000 years old.
Archaeologists led by Dr. Pierce Paul Chrisman, executive director of the American Center for Research, discovered the ancient tomb. The expedition explored the treasure after years of speculation that the two tombs discovered under the left side of the monument in 2003 were not the only secret underground chambers. But this theory was not confirmed - until now.
Earlier this year, Chrisman and his team used ground-penetrating radar - a remote sensing technique that uses radar pulses to detect underground objects - to check that the physical features to the left, where the original tombs were found, matched with those on the right. The discoveries showed strong similarities between the two countries, and it was the proof they needed to get permission from the Jordanian government to dig under the treasury.
At this point Chrisman contacted Josh Gates, host of the show “Expedition into the unknown“ on the Discovery Channel. “I think we have something” Chrisman says he told the researcher over the phone.
With a film crew, the team excavates the newly discovered tomb in August. But the real surprise was what was hidden in it. While many tombs discovered at Petra were found empty or disturbed, the chamber was filled with entire skeletal remains and grave goods made of bronze, iron and pottery. The intact burial found beneath the treasury provides a rare glimpse into the lives of the Nabateans, ancient Arab nomads whose desert kingdom flourished from the 4th century BC to 106 AD, Chrisman said.
„This is an extremely rare discovery - in the two centuries since archaeologists have explored Petra, nothing like it has been found before,” says Gates. “Even in front of one of the most famous buildings in the world... there are still huge discoveries to be made“.
Researchers say the significant find may be the largest collection of human remains found at one site in Petra, and it was featured on Wednesday's season premiere of “Expedition Unknown”.
In 2000, Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World because of its unique architecture and the many mysteries that still surround the city. While experts have debated the Treasury's purpose for centuries, the most popular theory is that the monument served as a mausoleum, although no skeletal remains have been found in the building itself, Gates said.
The treasure house is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists a year, and it has also been featured in several movies, the most significant being the location of the Holy Grail in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” since 1989
Among the artifacts are several vessels, with one of the skeletons found holding a ceramic cup that resembles the shape of the Holy Grail. “It was really a great moment where it was as if history imitated art,”, Gates told “CNN”.