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Archaeologists have discovered a 2.000-year-old underwater temple belonging to the “Indiana Jones civilization” off the coast of Italy. This relic, built by Arab immigrants, reveals details of the ancient Nabataean culture. Check it out!
Archaeologists have discovered underwater structures off the coast of Pozzuoli, near Naples, that indicate the presence of an ancient Nabataean temple dating back more than 2.000 years. location of the construction, associated with the culture of the Nabataeans — popularly known as the “Indiana Jones civilization” in reference to the famous film — reveals marble altars and inscribed plaques, configuring one of the most impressive finds of maritime archaeology in the region.
This temple, built at a time when the Roman city of Puteoli was one of Italy's busiest ports, offers new insights into the connection between the Roman world and the ancient Nabataean Kingdom that thrived on the Arabian Peninsula.
According to Michele Stefanile, maritime archaeologist and lead author of the study, this discovery was unexpected and has great historical relevance.
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A window into Nabatean trade and culture
In the historical context, Puteoli was a trading center where goods such as grains and luxury goods were exchanged. It is in this environment that the Nabataean community found a space to thrive, bringing with them their religious practices and customs.It is natural that the Nabataeans, influential traders of the ancient East, would have established their presence in Puteoli“, comments historian Steven Tuck, from the University of Miami.
The Nabataeans are widely known for Petra, their capital in present-day Jordan, where the famous “Treasury” was carved into the rock and immortalized in the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. Petra symbolizes the wealth and power accumulated by the Nabataeans between the 4th century BC and the 2nd century AD, as they controlled trade routes that supplied luxury goods to the Roman Empire.
Temple structure and inscriptions
During the underwater investigation carried out in 2023, archaeologists identified two large rooms with walls built in the Roman style, measuring approximately 10 meters by 5 meters. Inside one of the rooms, white marble altars were discovered leaning against the walls, possibly housing sacred stones, according to the inscriptions found on the marble slabs that dedicate the temple to the god Dushara, the main Nabataean deity.
This detail highlights a cultural mix, where the Nabataeans used Latin architecture and language, but maintained their religious traditions. “It seems that we have a building dedicated to the Nabataean gods, but with Roman architecture and inscriptions in Latin,” highlights Michele Stefanile.
Destruction and burial of the temple
With the annexation of Nabataea by the Roman Empire in 106 AD, the Nabataeans lost control of the trade routes, culminating in a period of economic decline. This directly affected the Nabataean community in Puteoli, leading to the abandonment and possibly burial of the temple, which was purposely buried in the XNUMXnd century AD with concrete and broken pottery. According to Stefanile, this may be associated with economic and social changes that forced the Nabataeans to leave the region.
Archaeologist Laurent Tholbecq of the Université Libre de Bruxelles suggests that the temple’s destruction reflected the turmoil of the times. “Following the Roman expansion in the East, the Nabataeans lost their commercial freedom and eventually abandoned Puteoli, possibly burying their temple to avoid desecration,” Tholbecq explains.
Impact of the discovery on Mediterranean history
This discovery reveals a new layer of cultural and commercial interaction in the ancient Mediterranean, highlighting the relevance of the Nabataean community in an era dominated by Roman expansion. The presence of Nabataeans in Puteoli confirms that the port was a multicultural meeting point and vital for Roman trade.
The submerged findings open up a promising field for new research, which could explore more deeply how different cultures influenced the social and religious dynamics of the Mediterranean.
