Claire Isabella Gilmour/The Conversation
Twelve skeletons have been found in a large, 2,000-year-old tomb directly in front of the Khazneh (“Treasury”) in the city of Petra in Jordan. Alongside them, excavators have discovered grave goods made of pottery, bronze, iron and ceramics. There is much excitement among archaeologists because of what the rare opportunity to investigate this site might tell us about Petra’s ancient people, the Nabataeans, and their culture.
One of the most headline-grabbing discoveries has been dubbed a “holy grail” in many reports, suggesting that the vessel is similar to the fictional cup from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, also discovered at the Khazneh. In fact, it’s a humble jug, not a cup offering the drinker eternal life.
The similarities between the vessels aren’t a case of art imitating life, but the result of painstaking research into Nabataean pottery carried out by Deborah Fine, who was the director of archives at Lucasfilm Ltd.
The ‘Holy Grail’ that grabbed the headlines is likely the top of a jug. (© Discovery’s Expedition Unknown)
Nabataean pottery is very fine – often only 1.5mm thick – and best suited to ceremonial purposes or local use than the thicker, more robust contemporary Roman wares which could travel better. Nabataean pottery is also often painted with images such as flowers, figures and geometric motifs. These styles reflect Petra’s status as an important trading point, and the Nabataeans’ skill in…
