Drones and satellite imagery reveal hidden monumental structure at Petra

A monumental structure buried in the sands of Petra, Jordan, has been discovered using high-resolution satellite imagery and drones. The site, located just 800 meters from the famous rock-cut Nabataean capital, was revealed in a study published in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research and covered by National Geographic. The structure, likely a ceremonial platform, is nearly as long as an Olympic swimming pool and twice as wide. Based on pottery fragments collected at the site, archaeologists estimate it dates back over 2,150 years. The discovery was made possible by technology including Google Earth, WorldView-1, WorldView-2, and drones that meticulously photographed the area. Petra, discovered by explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812, was the capital of the Nabataean tribe, founded in the 2nd century BCE and abandoned at the end of the Byzantine period in the 7th century.