Using satellite data and drones, researchers say they've found a large monument in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan.
Dating back to the 4th century BC, Petra is an ancient world wonder carved directly into the red, white and pink cliffs of Jordan.
And now, an additional structure has been discovered in the area, according to a recent paper published in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, reports CNET.
Entitled, "Hiding in Plain Sight," the study summary describes a monument nearly twice as wide--and just about as long--as an Olympic-size swimming pool discovered using images from drones and satellites.
According to National Geographic, "The newly revealed structure consists of a 184-by-161-foot...platform that encloses a slightly smaller platform originally paved with flagstones."
The structure likely served a ceremonial function and was reportedly constructed early in the city's history.
The researchers wrote, “...Petra is an outstanding site to test new survey technologies...Even after two centuries of fieldwork in Petra and its environs, new discoveries and identifications of monumental structures continue to be made both within and around the urban center.”
Christopher Tuttle, one of the study's co-authors, said, "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."
