A 2,000-year-old tomb containing at least 12 human skeletons and artifacts has been discovered beneath Petra’s famous Khaznah, or treasury, a monument carved into Jordan’s pink sandstone cliffs. The building, known from Harrison Ford’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” holds more secrets than previously thought.

The excavation led by Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman, executive director of the American Center of Research, was the result of years of speculation. Archaeologists suspected that there were other hidden chambers beneath the treasury after two tombs were discovered on the left side in 2003. Earlier this year, Creasman and his team used ground-penetrating radar to confirm the presence of similar structures on the right, prompting the Jordanian government to begin digging.

Creasman immediately turned to Josh Gates, host of Discovery Channel’s *Expedition Unknown*, and said, “I think we have something.” In August, with a film crew present, the team uncovered the ancient tomb filled with skeletal remains and artifacts such as bronze, iron and ceramic objects.

Unlike many other tombs in Petra, which are often found looted or destroyed, this chamber contained intact human remains. Creasman explained the significance of the find, saying: “The intact tomb beneath the treasury offers rare insights into the lives of the Nabataeans, ancient Arab nomads whose desert empires existed from the fourth century B.C. BC to AD 106 flourished.”

Gates called it an “extremely rare discovery,” adding: “In the two centuries that Petra has been studied by archaeologists, nothing like it has ever been found before. Even in front of one of the most famous buildings in the world… there are still huge discoveries to be made.

Among the artifacts was a skeleton clutching a ceramic chalice resembling the Holy Grail, recalling the monument’s connection to *Indiana Jones*. Gates noted, “It really was this great moment in history imitating art.”

The find, which may be the largest collection of human remains discovered in Petra, was featured in the season premiere of *Expedition Unknown*. Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year and was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in the 2000s. Although the exact purpose of the Treasury remains controversial, this latest discovery provides crucial new clues to the city’s ancient past.