--- description: Archaeologists have used satellite imagery and drone photography to discover an enormous ceremonial platform near the center of Petra. title: A Massive, Ancient Platform Has Been Discovered in Petra image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac536e811508732b/69889723e20a8712fea912a1/jordan-petra-landmark.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Archaeology](/tag/archaeology/) ## Archaeology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Massive, Ancient Platform Discovered in Petra Has Been 'Hidden in Plain Sight' ## Video: Researchers Say Stonehenge Used to Have a Giant Neighbor [Watch (HLS stream): Researchers Say Stonehenge Used to Have a Giant Neighbor](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/piFxmAMU.m3u8) (0:55)  _Published 2015-09-07. Researchers in England just discovered a "superhenge" monument buried underground near Stonehenge._  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 9, 2016 6:18 PM CUT  The monastery in Petra, a world famous landmark in southern Jordan, on Feb. 23, 2016. The monastery in Petra, a world famous landmark in southern Jordan, on Feb. 23, 2016.Sam McNeil—AP  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 9, 2016 6:18 PM CUT Archaeologists have used satellite imagery and drone photography [to discover an enormous ceremonial platform](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/space-archaeology-satellite-petra-ancient-city-discovery-jordan-monument/ "undefined") near the center of the ancient [city of Petra](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2121571,00.html "undefined"). Sarah Parcak and Christopher Tuttle published their finding in a [new report](http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5615/bullamerschoorie.375.0035 "undefined") that reveals the monument that has been, as the paper is titled, hiding in plain sight. That is all the more impressive because of the platform’s size: at 184 by 161 feet, it’s roughly the length of an Olympic swimming pool (and twice the width), _National Geographic_ reports. “I’m sure that over the course of two centuries of research \[in Petra\], someone had to know \[this site\] was there, but it’s never been systematically studied or written up,” Tuttle told the magazine. “I’ve worked in Petra for 20 years, and I knew that something was there, but it’s certainly legitimate to call this a discovery.” Using the [aerial images](http://time.com/4073584/2016-world-monuments-watch-photos/ "undefined"), the archaeologists determined that a small building sat atop the platform. Petra, located in present-day Jordan, was founded around the second century B.C., and abandoned by the seventh century A.D. \[[_National Geographic_](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/space-archaeology-satellite-petra-ancient-city-discovery-jordan-monument/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4363081/petra-jordan-platform-discovered/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4363081/petra-jordan-platform-discovered/"},"headline":"A Massive, Ancient Platform Discovered in Petra Has Been 'Hidden in Plain Sight'","datePublished":"2016-06-09T18:18:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T22:30:17.296Z","description":"Archaeologists just published the discovery they made in Jordan","url":"https://time.com/4363081/petra-jordan-platform-discovered/","keywords":["Archaeology","Travel"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac536e811508732b/69889723e20a8712fea912a1/jordan-petra-landmark.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac536e811508732b/69889723e20a8712fea912a1/jordan-petra-landmark.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Serenity Now LIttle Petra","caption":"The monastery in Petra, a world famous landmark in southern Jordan, Feb. 23, 2016.","creditText":"Sam McNeil—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/archaeology/","name":"Archaeology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4363081/petra-jordan-platform-discovered/","name":"A Massive, Ancient Platform Discovered in Petra Has Been 'Hidden in Plain Sight'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Researchers Say Stonehenge Used to Have a Giant Neighbor","description":"Researchers in England just discovered a \"superhenge\" monument buried underground near Stonehenge.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/piFxmAMU/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-09-07T14:32:40.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/piFxmAMU.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4363081/petra-jordan-platform-discovered/","duration":"PT55S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4363081/petra-jordan-platform-discovered/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```