Huge monument discovered buried under the sands in Jordan

Satellite images, surveys and drone photograph has revealed a huge monumental structure dating as far back as 2000 years ago buried under the earth at the World Heritage site of Petra Jordan.
The huge monument is about the length of an Olympic swimming pool and twice as wide.
Researchers say it is different from any other structure at the ancient site.
The study, carried out by Archaeologists Sarah Parcak of the University of Birmingham, and Christopher Tuttle, executive director of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, describes the find as "hiding in plain sight".

 The history of Petra dates back to the fourth century BC, when it was founded by the Nabataean civilization, who inhabited parts of what is now known as Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

"This monumental platform has no parallels at Petra or in its hinterlands at present," the researchers wrote, noting that the structure is only half a mile away from the city center but "hidden" and hard to reach.

The structure consists of a massive platform, measuring 184x161ft (55x50m), with an interior platform that was originally paved with flagstones.  In the middle of the smaller platform sits a 28ft square building facing a row of columns and a staircase to the east.

 

Sarah Parcak, who has tagged herself a "space archaeologist", believes satellites imagery and new technology will lead to "some pretty amazing discoveries over the next year".

Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the ancient Nabataean city's iconic buildings carved into the red sandstone.

"Petra represents one of the most well-known and surveyed archaeological parks in the world," the abstract of the study reads.

"Yet significant structures within range of its central city remain to be discovered."