Archaeologists identify the site of an ancient battle in Iraq from spy satellite images

(CNN) Archaeologists have identified the site of an ancient battle in what is now Iraq by matching historical records with declassified US spy satellite images.

Researchers from Durham University in Britain and al-Qadisiyah University in Iraq said in a statement on Wednesday that they discovered the site of the Battle of Qadisiyah, which took place in 636 or 637 AD.

Although the battle was a major victory for the Arab Islamic forces and allowed them to expand beyond Arabia, the location of the battle was not known until now.

William Dedman, an expert in archaeological remote sensing at Durham University, told CNN that the discovery was part of a wider project aimed at mapping archaeological sites across the Middle East.

First, the team used spy satellite images taken in the 1970s and now declassified and historical documents to map the Darb Zubaydah pilgrimage route from Kufa, Iraq, to ​​Mecca, Saudi Arabia, realizing that this information could be used to find the famous Battle of Qadisiya.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out a place,” said Dedman.

As a first step, Dedman drew a series of circles on a map based on distances recorded in historical records, and then looked closely at the areas where they intersect on satellite images.

Mr Dedman said he was “surprised” when he found the fort and the double walls described in the records.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

The team said the battle took place about 30 kilometers south of Kufa in the Najaf region, and Dedman’s investigation was supported by field investigations by Iraqi researchers.

In the Battle of Qadisiya, a small Muslim Arab army defeated a large English army that controlled the area.

Dedman said the battle was “the first really important victory” and “an important moment in history” for the Islamic army, which had made several failed attempts to expand beyond Arabia.

He said the area is now agricultural land. Much of the 9.7km (9.7km) wall has been destroyed or brought into agricultural territory, and there is evidence of quarrying at the former military site of al-Udayb.

Researchers plan to map the remains and conduct archaeological surveys, but tensions in the Middle East have halted plans to visit the site, Dedman said.

This research is published in the academic journal Antiquity.

Mustafa Baig, a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Exeter, who was not involved in the study, said the findings were “very important.”

Baig told CNN that although the Islamic forces were greatly outnumbered, they won through bravery and good strategy.

This decisive battle heralded the fall of the Sassanid Empire and the expansion of Islamic territory into Mesopotamia, Persia and beyond. place,” said Baig.