Archaeologists have identified the origin of the famous “holy grail” cup that was found at the precise spot in Jordan where “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade” was filmed, along with 12 human skeletons.The chalice is actually a common drinking cup used by the ancient Nabateans, a highly developed people who lived in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra thousands of years ago, rather than the container for an immortality elixir. “It’s a humble jug, not a cup offering the drinker eternal life,” wrote UK archaeologist Claire Isabella Gilmour in the conversation, dismissing similarities to the renowned biblical artifact.
Along with the previously stated dozen dead and other relics, the pottery artifact was excavated in August at the 2,000-year-old tomb beneath Khazneh, the renowned ancient treasury in Petra, Jordan.
Josh Gates from the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” and Dr. Pearce Paul Creasman, executive director of the American Center of Research (ACOR), made the ground-breaking discovery, according to Ancient Origins. One of the 12 skeletons clutched the alleged “grail” when it was discovered, symbolizing the chalice from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper.
The specialists disclosed that the drinking container was really a classic example of Nabataean pottery, which may have disappointed Bible enthusiasts. The delicate nature of this ancient crockery, which is frequently only 1.5 mm thick, indicates that it was intended primarily for ceremonial and regional uses rather than for travel, unlike its more resilient Roman contemporaries.
Nabatean pottery is also often painted with images such as flowers, figures and geometric motifs, the archaeologist wrote. These styles reflect Petras status as an important trading point, and the Nabateans skill in creation and invention.
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Even more fascinating was the fact that the chalice was found in the famous set of Steven Spielberg’s 1989 adventure moviethe purported “grail” even resembles the Spartan-looking prop from the movie.The grail-blazing discovery is “not a case of art imitating life,” according to Gilmour, despite the similarity. “The result of painstaking research into Nabatean pottery carried out by Deborah Fine, who was the director of archives at Lucasfilm Ltd.” she continued, adding that the similarities were not accidental.
The names of the tomb’s 12 occupants, however, continue to be a riddle worthy of “Indiana Jones.” Nonetheless, their presence at the Khazneh and the fact that they were interred in different sarcophagi seem to indicate that they were elites.
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Gates told CNN, “This could be the biggest find of human remains in one location in Petra.” “The discovery of at least 12 skeletons indicates that the tomb may have been used as a final resting place for notable people, possibly belonging to the Nabatean aristocracy.”
