2,000-year-old skeletons found beneath Petra’s Treasury

Archaeologists have uncovered a significant discovery beneath Petra's famed Treasury in Jordan, revealing a tomb with at least 12 human skeletons and artifacts dating back more than 2,000 years.

As CNN reports, the team, led by Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman of the American Center of Research, made the find after using ground-penetrating radar to explore the area, confirming long-held suspicions of additional chambers beneath the monument.

The excavation, conducted in August and featured on the Discovery Channel’s "Expedition Unknown," revealed remarkably well-preserved skeletal remains, along with bronze, iron, and ceramic grave goods, offering new insight into the Nabataean people who once inhabited the area. “This is a hugely rare discovery,” said Josh Gates, the show’s host. “Even in front of one of the most famous buildings in the world, there are still huge discoveries to be made.”

Among the artifacts found was a ceramic chalice resembling the Holy Grail, further enhancing the historical intrigue of the site. While Petra’s Treasury is believed to have been a mausoleum, no remains have previously been discovered within the monument itself. The newly found tomb, located at the main entrance to the ancient city, is thought to have held individuals of significant importance, though researchers are still working to unravel their identities through DNA analysis and other methods.

The find offers a rare glimpse into the burial practices of the Nabataeans, whose desert kingdom thrived from the fourth century BC to AD 106.

[Information sourced from CNN]