World
A discovery in one of the Indiana Jones scenarios: the Treasure of Petra, a secret tomb has been uncovered
One of the most emblematic places of Indiana Jones expands its historical richness.
The Treasury of Petra is one of Jordan’s most emblematic monuments and was used as the setting for the movie ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’. This majestic site is also known as Al-Khazna, and in addition to its great historical and architectural significance, it also stands out for its presence in the 1989 film directed by Steven Spielberg.
For the birth of Petra we must go back to the eighth century BC, when it was built by the Edomites (according to the Bible, the descendants of Esau, son of Isaac and brother of Jacob). One of the factors that make this city the most visited of all Jordan is its facades, carved directly into the rock. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, but it was not until it was recognized as one of the new seven wonders of the modern world in 2007 that it was consolidated as one of the most visited destinations in the world.
The treasure of Petra, a secret tomb
In the movie, the director used this spectacular environment to set the exterior of the temple where Indiana Jones was to find the Holy Grail. This made the place even more mysterious and is one more reason to attract millions of tourists who want to relive Harrison Ford’s experiences in one of the most iconic films in cinema.
In 2024, after more than two decades without in-depth investigations at Petra, Dr. Richard Bates and a team of researchers used penetrating radar to explore the Petra Treasury. In 2003, hidden tombs had been discovered near this monument, but bureaucracy and lack of funding had prevented them from fully exploring the area. This year, the group led by Bates received permission to use a deep-penetrating instrument, and as a result, they found an intact tomb containing 12 skeletons and numerous funerary offerings inside the treasury, directly across the street from the original 2003 find.
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