Josh Gates joined an archaeological team that reported finding a tomb with at least a dozen Nabataean burials directly beneath Petra’s Treasury in Jordan. Warner Bros. Discovery says remote sensing first detected a void about 12 feet below the structure; the team then excavated it. The discovery is at the real landmark associated with the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade—not at a film set.
What did Josh Gates and the team find at Petra?
Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Gates participated in a joint Jordanian-American project that excavated a long-buried tomb beneath Petra’s Treasury. The network says the tomb contained at least a dozen Nabataean burials. Professor Pearce Paul Creasman, executive director of the American Center of Research (ACOR), led the project, according to the announcement. Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement
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The release quotes Gates reacting to the chamber: “We were absolutely stunned by the revelation of this hidden chamber.” He also described the find as potentially significant because, he said, many tombs at Petra had been found empty. That is Gates’s assessment as quoted in the announcement, not an independently established archaeological consensus.
How was the tomb located?
According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the project received permission to carry out remote sensing and excavation beneath the Treasury. The release says remote sensing indicated a void about 12 feet below the structure, which the team then investigated by excavating. The measurement and sequence are reported by the network; the announcement does not provide technical details about the sensing method or independent documentation of the scan.
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Why is the site called an Indiana Jones location?
Petra’s Treasury is the real Jordanian landmark made famous as the Holy Grail’s cinematic resting place in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The film reference explains the location’s familiarity to audiences; it does not make the archaeological discovery part of the film’s story. The reported tomb lies beneath the actual Treasury.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known—and what remains unconfirmed?
The network announcement supplies the headline details: a void detected beneath the building, an excavated tomb, and at least a dozen Nabataean burials. It does not provide a complete account of the burials’ dating, conservation, or archaeological interpretation. No peer-reviewed excavation report or independent technical documentation is included in the material supporting the announcement, so finer conclusions should await formal archaeological reporting.
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Discovery describes Expedition Unknown as a series in which Gates investigates mysteries, lost cities, buried treasures, and related stories. That is useful context for his role on the program, but the Petra excavation details come from Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement rather than the series description. Discovery’s Expedition Unknown page
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