Researchers have discovered a secret grave containing 12 human skeletons in the finance building in Petra, Jordan.

The Treasury building, also known as Al Khazneh, is located in the center of the ancient city, which was carved into the walls of a desert canyon 2,000 years ago by the people of the Nabataean Kingdom. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra is an iconic tourist attraction known as the resting place of the Holy Grail Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. But despite its fictional role in the best Indiana Jones movie (don't argue with me there), the Treasury Department's true purpose remains unknown.

That's why discoveries like these latest 12 skeletons are so exciting. Just over two decades ago, similar hidden graves were found on the left side of the site. This early discovery led researchers to suspect that additional tombs may be hidden elsewhere in the building.

Earlier this year, the research team received permission from Jordanian authorities to conduct a week-long survey of the site to use remote sensing to locate new graves. To do this, they used non-invasive surveying techniques with electromagnetic conductivity and ground radar. They were joined by Josh Gates, the host of a two-part show called “ Expedition unknown which aired on the Discovery Channel in early October 2024.

“The main purpose of the survey was to assess the condition of the areas surrounding the Treasury, its courtyard, the square, the exit from the Siq and the wadi into which they all flow, in advance of potential future work to diversion and better control flooding “said Professor Bates from the University of St Andrews in a statement.

After the team found a suspected grave, an excavation plan was drawn up and then carried out by a team with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities (DoA) and the American Center of Research (ACOR). They quickly excavated a chamber that still contained burials.

“The discovery is of international significance as very few complete early Nabataean burials have been recovered from Petra. It is expected that the burials, their possessions and the human remains will help fill the gaps in knowledge about how Petra came to be and who the (Nabataeans) were,” Bates added.

Samples from the surrounding sediment as well as material from the grave enclosure dated the construction of the walls within the grave to the mid-19th century^st century B.C. BC and the early 2nd century BC^nd Century AD

“The tomb was most likely built as a mausoleum and crypt in the Nabataean kingdom at the beginning of the 1st century^st Century AD for Aretas IV Philopatris. As with many graves in the valley, few remains have been found in the tombs due to their subsequent use and reuse over the last two millennia,” explained Dr. Tim Kinnaird, also from the University of St Andrews.

“(It's) fantastic that we now have the pottery, ecofacts and sediments that exist up to the time the Treasury was built. Previously we worked with assumptions and conjectures – having a definitive date will be a monumental achievement for all of us.”

Incredibly, one of the skeletons was found holding a ceramic vessel that bears a striking resemblance to the Grail depicted in the Indiana Jones film.

“When we spotted what looked like a chalice, we all froze. It looked almost identical to the Holy Grail Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadehoused in the ancient building directly above the grave. It was the ultimate moment in life to imitate art,” Gates said.

This vessel appears to be a fragment of a broken jug, probably made in the 1st century^st century B.C. BC

“We still have so much to learn about the Treasury. When was this remarkable structure built and why? Little did we know that these excavations could completely transform our knowledge of the Treasury and help solve the mysteries of the Nabataean people,” said Pearce Paul Creasman, archaeologist and executive director of ACOR, in another statement.

“With the support of the Jordanian government, this excavation brings us closer to the answers than ever before.”