Archaeologists have discovered the site of the ancient Battle of al-Qadisiyyaha in Iraq using declassified photos from a US spy satellite.
The battle occurred in 636 AD and was the site of a significant victory for the Arab Muslims in their expansion outside of Arabia. While it was an important historical site, no one knew its whereabouts until now. Archaeologists from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom and the University of Al-Qadisiyah in Iraq found the ancient battle site by combining declassified photos from the US spy satellite with information gained by sifting through ancient texts.
Ancient al-Qadisiyyaha battle site discovered in Iraq
At first, the team mapped out the 1,000-year-old Darb Zubaydah pilgrimage route from Kufa in Iraq to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. During this process, they realized that the declassified photos could be the missing pieces they needed to discover this ancient battle site.
The historical texts they were using as references held the key. When they used the description of ancient structures and the US spy satellite photos to map the pilgrimage route, they found it lined up with what was said about the ancient battle of al-Qadisiyyaha.
“I thought this is a good chance at having a crack at trying to find it,” said William Deadman, a specialist in archaeological remote sensing from Durham University.
Deadman’s first step was to plot circles on a map using distances mentioned in the historical texts. He then examined where the resulting circles overlapped. He “couldn’t believe it” when he and the team eventually found a fort and a double wall that matched precisely with the text.
Their research places the site of the ancient battle of al-Qadisiyyaha at around 18 miles south of Kufa in Najaf Governorate, which confirmed the on-ground investigations done by the researchers in Iraq.
“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,” said Deadman, adding that this was “a pivotal moment in history.”
The battle of al-Qadisiyyaha opposed the Rashidun Caliphate, founded right after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, to the Sasanian Empire. The Arab victory strengthened their foot-hold in Western Asia and prepared their further domination of the region.
Scientists are thrilled to have found the ancient battle site. After countless years, archaeologists finally know where this incredible moment of history took place. Archaeologists can now investigate the site and learn more about the ancient battle, which is hugely significant to the history of the region, as well as the settlements that were nearby.
“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,” concluded Deadman.
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