Secret government photos uncover key archaeological findings in Iraq

Researchers have identified the site of the ancient Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, dating back nearly 1,500 years, using declassified U.S. spy satellite images. A team of archaeologists from Durham University in the U.K. and the University of Al-Qadisiyah in Iraq, led by Dr. William Deadman, a specialist in archaeological remote sensing, made the discovery while conducting a remote sensing survey. The findings were published in the journal Antiquity.

The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, fought in 636 AD in what is now Iraq, was a crucial victory for Arab Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate over the Sasanian Empire of ancient Persia. This battle marked the beginning of Arab and Islamic rule of Persia. Dr. Deadman stated, "This discovery provides a geographical location and context for a battle that is one of the founding stories of the expansion of Islam into modern-day Iraq, Iran, and beyond."

Using declassified U.S. spy satellite imagery from the 1970s, along with modern images and historical texts, the team was able to pinpoint the location of the battle site approximately 30 kilometers south of Kufa in the Najaf Governorate of Iraq. Previously, the precise location was not clear, with maps placing it within a radius of 10-20 kilometers, which Dr. Deadman described as a "huge" margin of error. He said the exact location of the battlefield had been tied down "quite precisely" to within perhaps 1 kilometer.

During their survey work, the team identified a six-mile-long double wall feature linking a military complex on the desert fringe and a large settlement on the edge of the southern Mesopotamian floodplain. Dr. Deadman said, "I was amazed by how well the archaeology tied in with the historical narrative." The key features of the site included a deep trench, two fortresses, and an ancient river that was reportedly once forded by elephant-mounted Persian troops.

The research was part of the wider Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) project, which focuses on the endangered archaeology of the region and was launched in 2015 to document endangered archaeological sites. The project is a collaboration between the universities of Oxford, Durham, and Leicester, and is funded by Arcadia.

The researchers conducted the survey to map the Darb Zubaydah, a pilgrimage route from Iraq's Kufa to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, built over 1,000 years ago. While mapping this route, they noticed a site about 30 kilometers south of Kufa that closely matched the description of the al-Qadisiyah battle site in historic texts. According to Dr. Deadman, "This corresponded remarkably well to details within the rich body of historical sources relevant to the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah and the stopping points along the Darb Zubaydah."

Ground surveys carried out by Iraqi researchers, including Dr. Jaafar Jotheri and Dr. Rajwan Almayali from the University of Al-Qadisiyah, uncovered physical evidence that supports the findings. They found pottery shards consistent with the time period when the battle took place, confirming the accuracy of the remote interpretation of the satellite imagery. Dr. Deadman said, "Not only were they able to confirm that our remote interpretation of the satellite imagery was accurate, but they were also able to find additional supporting evidence. All the main features they visited had pottery from the right period on the surface, which provides further confirmation of our findings."

The team used declassified U.S. spy satellite imagery from the 1970s, which is now in the public domain, and compared it to modern-day images and historical texts. Dr. Deadman said, "As you would expect from previously top-secret American spy imagery—the resolution is absolutely amazing—it is like having Google Earth, but from the 1970s." He noted that Cold War-era satellite images are commonly used tools by archaeologists working in the Middle East because they predate much of the agricultural and urban expansion that has occurred over the last 50 years.

The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah remains part of the core curriculum for students of Arabic history due to its significant role in the early Arab conquests. These conquests in the seventh and eighth centuries rapidly expanded Islamic rule across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as parts of Central Asia and Europe. Arab armies defeated the weakened Byzantine and Sasanian empires, bringing vast territories under the control of the Rashidun Caliphate and later the Umayyad Caliphate.

Dr. Deadman expressed hopes that a full field investigation can be undertaken to provide further insights into the study's findings. He said, "With detailed archaeological survey in the future, we hope to also pinpoint and map the battlefield in detail, if it still survives."

The discovery comes at a time of resurgence in archaeology in Iraq, a country often referred to as the "cradle of civilization." Archaeological exploration in Iraq has been stunted by decades of conflict that halted excavations and led to the looting of tens of thousands of artifacts. In recent years, archaeological digs have returned to Iraq, and thousands of stolen artifacts have been repatriated.

The archaeological team plans to begin excavations at the site in the coming year, according to Dr. Jotheri. He said, "We all agree that it is a very important battle, a decisive one, and we all know about it." Dr. Rajwan Almayali added, "We hope that researchers and students of the two universities will continue to learn the secrets and mysteries of the archaeology and history of Mesopotamia."

Dr. Deadman said, "To be able to use our survey work to not only identify a key historical battle site, but also the locations of two key settlements along the Darb Zubaydah, is hugely exciting."

Sources: Newsweek, Chronicle Live, Express.co.uk, GB News, AP

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq