12 Astonishing Facts We Just Learned About Ancient Landmarks

Though an ornate and intricately carved ancient temple in the middle of a desert may seem like the stuff of a great fictional adventure or video game, Petra is a very real place. The temple seen at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is located near modern-day Jordan. Over 2,000 years ago, the Nabataeans established Petra, a city so remote that visitors must travel through a 328-foot deep and, at some points, only 10-foot wide gorge to reach it. Once adventurers make it through the seemingly uninhabitable terrain, they're met with the awe-inspiring sight of the Khazneh, or “treasury,” Indiana Jones fans recognize from the film. When the mainly nomadic Nabateaens first established themselves in Petra near the end of the 4th century BCE, they were still heavily tied to their Arabic roots. However, as they immersed themselves into the South Arabian frankincense and myrrh business, Petra became a thriving city with a mix of Arabic and Hellenistic influence. Establishing trade routes from India all the way to Rome, the city thrived before it was eventually annexed by Rome in 106 CE. As the Romans established different trade routes, the city of Petra eventually declined. While many of Petra's tombs are decorated with intricate carvings, the Khaznah is one of the most ornate and recognizable. According to legend, this city of rock dwellings and tombs is also where the Israelite leader, Moses, hit a rock to make a stream of water burst forth. In October 2024, it was announced that archaeologists discovered another burial site at Petra, one that was unique among its counterparts. Professor Richard Bates explained, If you look at all the other tombs in the Petra area, only a few have ever contained any human remains, and those are very fragmentary, whereas this has got 12 complete bodies within it. One additional interesting find was the skeleton holding a chalice with striking similarities to the one seen in Indiana Jones. Researchers planned to analyze the bones, teeth, and other materials to learn more about life at Petra.

Though the three pyramids most commonly recognized are Cheops (The Great Pyramid), Chephren, and Mycerinus, the western bank of the Nile River boasts home to over 130 other pyramids. Built between 2550 to 2490 BCE, the gigantic structures have experienced centuries of erosion. Visitors to the pyramids in ancient times would not have seen the 2.5- to 15-ton blocks arranged to create them. Instead, they would have witnessed these iconic buildings under a shimmering light, as the pyramids were once covered in limestone that reflected the sun's rays. Unfortunately, the original casing has been almost totally destroyed due to the combination of earthquakes and subsequent rulers removing pieces of the pyramids to build other structures.

Located in the Yucatan, Chichen Itza, believed to translate from the Mayan term for “the mouth at the well of the water magicians,” displays a seemingly magical spectacle for visitors every spring and fall equinox. The Temple of Kukulkan, also known as El Castillo, was built around 600 CE. Mayans were devoted astronomers and placed the temple in the perfect position for the sun to create an optical illusion around March 20th and September 22nd, when the equinoxes fall. As the sun's rays hit the temple on these specific dates, shadows cast across the pyramid-shaped temple resemble a serpent slithering down the sides of the structure. What's more, clapping in front of the Kukulkan pyramid creates an echo that mimics a serpent's chirp.

Archaeologists believe that the ancient site of Gobekli Tepe in Turkey was built around 11,000 years ago and was the world's first temple. Predating Stonehenge by 6,000 years, the carved stone structures were erected before experts previously believed humans had developed tools or even pottery. Examination of the stone carvings revealed that hammers and blades were used to create the structures. Situated at the top of a hill that overlooks what would have been a thriving nature-filled landscape under a moderate climate, the site would have attracted hunters and gatherers from modern-day Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Masons using flint tools could have carved the soft limestone into the round pillars unearthed at the site before carrying them up to the hill for placement. Because archaeologists have yet to unearth any signs that a civilization lived among the megaliths, they believe that this site was dedicated specifically as a place of worship.

Located within the Acropolis, the Parthenon was built in 447 BCE as a dedication to the Greek goddess and namesake of Athens, Athena. Though it was initially designed as both a temple and an example of the strong democratic state Athens had procured during the era, the fall of the city into multiple different hands over the centuries led to the ancient building being redesignated as a church and a mosque. As Christianity swept the nation in the 6th century, the Parthenon was converted into a church and renamed the Church of the Parthenos Maria to honor the Virgin Mary. In the 1460s, the Ottoman Empire took over the region and rededicated the building as a mosque.

Though the first bricks of the Great Wall of China were laid in the 3rd century BCE, most of the wall wasn't constructed until the Ming dynasty of 1368-1644. Still, just because most of the massive structure is relatively less ancient doesn't make it less prone to decay and destruction. After being subjected to centuries of harsh weather conditions, plant growth, and heavy tourist traffic, almost one-third of the wall has disappeared. The giant wall is not one linear creation but a series of sections stretching thousands of miles. Over the centuries, heavy foot traffic and vandalism have eroded portions of the wall- as visitors sometimes felt their homes could use a few of the famous bricks that make up the great structure. The towers are so fragile that a sharp wind or heavy rain could cause them to topple during a storm, and overgrown plants have accelerated the wall's decay. So much of the Great Wall of China is missing that its measured length is either around 5,592 miles or 13,048 miles, depending on whether the missing sections are included in the total sum.

The Quwwat-ul Mosque in Delhi, India, was built in 1192 CE. Though tourists visit the mosque (now in ruins) each year, many are more drawn to a much older artifact - an iron pillar built in the 4th century CE that stands in front of the ruins and has not rusted in 1,600 years. For centuries, the relatively perfect condition of the pillar has fascinated and confused historians, scientists, and archaeologists. However, there's a chemical explanation for the pillar's preservation. The pillar (about 7 meters high and 400 mm in diameter at its base) was built by hammering multiple pieces of hot iron together to form a cylindrical shape (known as forge welding). Because the process requires numerous selections of steel, the pillar's composition varies greatly. While modern steel holds about the same carbxon content as the ancient pillar (0.15%), the pillar's phosphorous levels are over ten times higher than modern steel's. Experts believe that the high phosphorous content within the ancient steel caused a protective film of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate to form on the pillar's surface, essentially protecting the column from the elements.

Between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, Delphi, Greece, was considered the center or “navel” of the entire universe. Built as a temple to honor the Greek god Apollo, the grounds became a sacred meeting spot for both religious and political festivals and gatherings. From spring to fall, commoners and distinguished rulers would travel to gain wisdom from Pythia, the Oracle at Delphi, on the seventh day of each month. Claiming to possess direct access to Apollo's wisdom, the seer would sit on a tripod stool with a cluster of laurel leaves, inhale gasses coming from a crack in the earth, and fall into a trance. Though her words were incomprehensible to the public, priests stood by to translate them to help leaders determine their next political actions. According to Greek legend, the Oracle accurately predicted the Trojan War and Argonauts' expedition. Her visions shaped much of the landscape of the ancient world, as rulers from Lydia, Caria, and Egypt also visited to seek her wisdom.

Cambodians are so proud of their temples, collectively referred to as Angkor Wat, that the ancient buildings are featured on the country's flag and carry a high price tag for filmmakers wishing to feature them in the movies. Built between 802 and 1220 CE, the site was constructed without the use of modern machinery. Due to its fragile nature, Cambodian officials limit how many visitors may walk through the temples' halls each year. When producers approached Som Sokun, director of cinema for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts for Cambodia, in hopes of filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2000, they had to agree not to use guns or film graphic scenes within temple walls. Additionally, the crew paid $10,000 a day for their team of 100 crew members to utilize the sacred space.

At one point, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (modern-day Turkey) was estimated to be four times larger than the Parthenon. Commissioned by the Lydian king, Croesus, between 560 and 547 BCE and named after the Greek Goddess of hunting, wilderness, wild animals, chastity, and childbirth, the temple became one of the seven wonders of the world. In 356 BCE, a man named Herostratus intentionally burned the temple to the ground. Intent on keeping the temple as a sacred site and tourist destination, Ephesians rebuilt it, making it even grander and more skillfully decorated with art than before. However, the temple was destroyed again in 262 CE during a Goth invasion. Though the Epshesians were intent on keeping the Temple of Artemis as the ancient city's focal point, it was destroyed for a final time in 401 CE. In addition to the temple's most updated foundation that remains, archaeological digs have uncovered remnants of Croesus’s temple, the temple of the 3rd century BCE, and three smaller temples buried beneath the ruins.

Even after centuries of study, scientists, historians, and archaeologists can't determine for certain why the ancient Salisbury, England, stone site was created. Whether it was used as a farming calendar to determine cycles of the sun and moon, a religious gathering place, a healing site, or a place to honor ancestors, one thing is certain: Stonehenge took over a millennium to complete. The ancient structure contains both artificially shaped massive Cenozoic silcrete stones as well as smaller bluestones that had to have been transported from over 100-200 miles away. Construction began on the massive stone circle in 3000 BCE and wasn't completed until 1520 BCE. Ancient people who left no trace of written records to identify Stonehenge's meaning dug the initial earthbank and ditch around 3100 BCE. Experts believe that the first larger stones were put into place and erected between 2400 and 2200 BCE. Builders continued to add smaller rocks surrounding the original formation from 1930 to 1600 BCE.

First conceptualized somewhere between 70 and 72 CE, the Flavian Theater, now more popularly referred to as the Colosseum, was fully constructed and ready to house entertainment by 80. To celebrate the occasion, Emperor Titus organized a full 100 days of live theatrics, including gladiatorial battles and a showcase of live exotic animals. Ancient Roman culture had a tradition of bringing animals from all over the world into their arenas for a bloody spectacle - and the opening of the anticipated Colosseum was no different. Lions, rhinos, cheetahs, crocodiles, hippos, elephants, and monkeys were transported from Africa to meet their end in the arena. From Asia, hunters acquired leopards, tigers, and panthers to fight amongst themselves and the chosen venatores (slaves and prisoners of war who battled against the animals for show). Bears were transported from Scotland. Though some animals like zebras and ostriches were deemed too docile to put up a fight worth watching, they were used to pull chariots during the games and slaughtered once their races were complete. Over the course of the 100-day showcase, historian Cassius Dio estimated that more than 9,000 animals were slaughtered for entertainment.