Archeologists find 12 hidden tombs with intact skeletons beneath Petra treasury

Archeologists found an untouched tomb containing 12 human skeletons and various treasures under Petra’s Treasury room, The New York Times reported on Monday.

Known locally in Jordan as Al Khazneh, the discovery of an untouched tomb under Petra's famous Treasury room - which was featured in Spielberg’s 1989 movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” as the location of the Holy Grail – comes after over 20 years of finding numerous hidden tombs throughout the Treasury.

However, NYT noted in their report that due to red tape and lack of funding archeologists could not explore the room in its entirety.

Dr. Richard Bates, a geophysicist from the University of St. Andrews, led the recent excavation after receiving permission to use advanced ground-penetrating radar at the site. "We were quite shocked that they did give us permission to go in and survey," the NYT cited Bates.

Bates emphasized that “this was stunning data,” as the radar showed clear signs of voids and structures beneath the Treasury, prompting a joint excavation effort between Jordanian and American teams.

Ancient underground tombs

The newly found tombs are believed to be older than the Treasury itself and feature walls that haven’t been seen in the region before. "People think they know Petra. They recognize the Treasury," said Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman, an archaeologist involved in the dig. "But all these people walk by, and there’s so much more under our feet."

The skeletal remains found under the Treasury room date from 400 B.C. to A.D. 106 and offer some clues about the Nabatean civilization, which made Petra its capital around the fourth century B.C., according to the NYT.

The intact dozen skeletons were within a hidden tomb and were discovered within a chamber divided by a set of walls, something that had not been seen before in the ancient city of Al Khazneh.