For one of the most famous ancient sites on the planet, there is a surprising amount about the city of Petra – and the Nabataean people who built it

‘A little hyped up’: experts downplay claims over Petra archaeological find

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2024-10-19 19:00:04

For one of the most famous ancient sites on the planet, there is a surprising amount about the city of Petra – and the Nabataean people who built it – that we don’t know for sure.

What exactly were their origins? How did their society operate? And why did they hand-carve such spectacular monuments into the reddish rock of the Jordanian desert?

A recent find at Petra this week promised some “groundbreaking and historic” answers. Described by the team behind it as like finding the holy grail of Petra archaeology, a large tomb has been excavated immediately in front of the Khazneh, or treasury, the most celebrated of its magnificent facades. Inside were 12 bodies and a range of grave goods, reportedly made from bronze, iron and pottery.

“This is perhaps the most significant tomb ever found at Petra and a discovery of historic proportions,” said Josh Gates, the presenter of a Discovery Channel documentary that accompanied the US-Jordanian excavation. “The breakthrough could not only reveal the secrets of the treasury above, it could also offer an extraordinary glimpse into the lives of the early Nabataeans who built Petra.”