Archaeology & History

Mysterious monument found in ancient Petra

By T.K. Randall
June 10, 2016 ·  10 comments

Petra is a popular tourist destination. Image Credit: CC BY 2.0 Sylvain L. Well known for its incredible rock-cut architecture, the city of Petra, which was believed to have been founded around 2,300 years ago by the Nabataeans, is today visited by thousands of tourists each year and was named back in 2007 as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

While much is known about the spectacular buildings of the city's urban core, the surrounding area is still throwing up new discoveries and now, following a renewed investigation involving aerial drone photography and high-resolution satellite imagery, archaeologists have uncovered a vast ceremonial platform measuring around twice the width of an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Massive monumental platform of unknown purpose discovered in the ancient site of Petra https://t.co/xKHvLfSrbk

— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 10, 2016

Situated only half a mile from the city center, the new structure consists of a large platform with a smaller platform inside it as well as a row of columns where a large staircase once stood.

It is quite unlike anything else ever found at the site and researchers believe that it was likely to have been used to conduct ceremonies that were attended by members of the public.

"I've worked in Petra for 20 years, and I knew that something was there," Christopher Tuttle, executive director of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, told National Geographic. "But it's certainly legitimate to call this a discovery."

Source: National Geographic | Comments (10)

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