While hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Jordan's Petra each year, archaeologists are still making new finds, including the recent discovery of a massive monument roughly the length of an Olympic swimming pool and twice as wide.

Utilizing drones, satellite images and ground surveys, Archaeologist and National Geographic Fellow Sarah Parcak and Executive Director of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers Christopher Tuttle were able to locate and document the structure, which had been "hiding in plain sight."

The newly discovered 56-by-49-meter platform encloses a slightly smaller platform, which was originally paved with flagstones. A row of columns appears to have once lined the platform, topping a staircase. On the interior platform, an 8.5-by-8.5 meter building was once standing and opening to the east towards the staircase.

Compared to the other known structures in Petra, the discovery is entirely unique. However, the archaeologists believe it likely had a public or ceremonial function, leading them to consider it the second largest elevated, dedicated display area to have been found in Petra.

Although excavations have not yet been undertaken, the presence of surface pottery brought the archaeologists to date the monument to the mid-second century B.C., toward the beginning of the city's construction. Most of the iconic monuments in Petra were built later, at the end of the first century B.C., making the new find all the more unique.

Tuttle told National Geographic that aerial and drone photography enabled the team to identify the faint footprints of the ancient structure. He explained that this technique also enables archaeologists to better understand how ancient buildings related to each other, providing a broader perspective.

However, Tuttle also remained modest about the discovery. "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," he told National Geographic. "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."