Archaeologists discover massive Petra monument that could be 2,150 years old

[NWCorona]

Source: The Guardian


Archaeologists have found a monumental structure buried under the sands of Petra, according to a new study that drew on satellite imagery to scan the ancient city.

Satellite surveys of the city revealed a massive platform, 184ft by 161ft, with an interior platform that was paved with flagstones, lined with columns on one side and with a gigantic staircase descending to the east. A smaller structure, 28ft by 28ft, topped the interior platform and opened to the staircase. Pottery found near the structure suggests the structure could be more than 2,150 years old.

“This monumental platform has no parallels at Petra or in its hinterlands at present,” the researchers wrote, noting that the structure, strangely, is near the city center but “hidden” and hard to reach.

“To my knowledge, we don’t have anything quite like this at Petra,” said Christopher Tuttle, an archaeologist who has worked at Petra for about 15 years and a co-author of the paper.



Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/09/petra-buried-monument-discovered-jordan

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There's so much underneath our feet that we don't even know is there.

[smirkymonkey]

1. And ISIS will blow it up in 3..2..1!

I hope not, but I don't have a lot of faith that such treasures in that part of the world will last.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. Yes, they will, when they expand into Jordan.

First, they will extract whatever portable artifacts exist, to take to market.

Then, destroy the rest and post the video.

If ISIS takes the site in Jordan, you can count on this outcome.

[jberryhill]

2. Aha!

Prior to now, they had not found the landing pad for the ancient alien craft there.

If mainstream archaeologists aren't sure what it is, then it is usually evidence of ancient aliens.

[PJMcK]

3. Cool!

Every time another piece of human history is uncovered, we learn more about where we come from. This is brilliant, NWCorona. Thanks.

[Judi Lynn]

4. So much to learn. People need to understand what has happened on this planet,

and find out what happened to obviously advanced civilizations, instead of taking life for granted, growing malicious, greedy, petty, complacent, bored.

That building is amazing. We need to know as much as they can tell us about it. What a privilege it would be to see it up close.

[leftynyc]

5. I was at Petra last October

I don't think I ever said "wow" so many times in one day before. Truly awesome.

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. Maybe it was the Nabataean's skateboard park?

Thanks for posting about this new discovery.

[Igel]

7. Announce loudly and with authority that

in 650 AD there was a huge, but I mean HUGE place of worship there.

Say that an inscription in Nabatean and in Arabic, sadly defaced by a ISIS supporter moments after being translated, said it was "the farthest mosque". If there are indentations that could be hoof prints, claim that they are hoof prints left by Muhammad's steed.

Then there can be a hope for peace in the Middle East. Well, as soon as the internal war over whether to accept the relocation of al aqsa is over.

[packman]

8. Google Earth map of Petra - walk its streets

https://www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/petra/#streetview

[smirkymonkey]

14. Truly amazing!

Thanks for the link!

[maxsolomon]

9. Yay for Space Archaeology!

The stuff being done around Stonehenge with ground-penetrating radar is amazing as well.

[kentauros]

13. I love ground-penetrating radar!

And I really wish we had a well-funded NASA, so that we could have at least one such satellite in orbit scanning the globe. There's no telling what's under the deserts of the world, or the rainforests.

[Warpy]

10. ...and could be far, far older than that

They won't know until they start digging.

Archaeologists have been shocked over and over again in the past few decades, from Varna to Gobekli Tepe, discovering that people at the end of the Ice Age weren't just simple wandering berry pickers who also killed off the remaining megafauna. They've also discovered indirect evidence of well developed textiles up to 45,000 years ago.

Og the Caveman has gotten a bad rap.

[Odin2005]

11. Somebody get Indiana Jones!