A half-century secret triggered a major discovery. Modern researchers mapping an area in the Middle East recognized distinct features. Could they have found an ancient battle site—using 1970s spy photos?
Nearly 1,400 years ago, Arab Muslims fought the Persian army at the Battle of al-Qadisiyah. The skirmish took place in Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq, in the years of the 630s. The Arab army prevailed and continued its march into Persia, now Iran.
Recently, archaeologists from Great Britain and Iraq were surveying a 1,000-year-old pilgrimage route. The path stretched from Kufa, Iraq, to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The research team noticed an area about 20 miles south of Kufa. Its appearance closely matched historic descriptions of the al-Qadisiyah battlefield. Standout features included a deep trench, two fortresses, and a river.
Iraqi professor of archaeology Jaafar Jotheri was part of the team that re-discovered the site. He says elephant-mounted Persian troops reportedly forded the water of the once-flowing Ateeq river.
Jotheri says every Iraqi who grew up in the 1980s knew details of the al-Qadisiyah battle. Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein claimed it as a sign of future victory for Iraq during the ongoing wars between his country and Iran.
Archaeologist William Deadman analyzes data from underground features. He regularly uses Cold War-era satellite images as a tool in the Middle East. That’s because the older images often show features that have been destroyed or changed and don’t show up on more recent satellite images.
“The Middle East has developed so much in the last 50 years,” Deadman says. Urban growth is responsible for some of the change; war is responsible for some too. Features at the al-Qadisiyah site, such as a large trench, were “much more pristine and clear” in the 1970s images, Deadman says.
The al-Qadisiyah site lay hidden for years. But it never disappeared.
Researchers at al-Qadisiyah found pottery shards of the same time period as the ancient battle. They published their discovery in the journal Antiquity. The finds come at a time of archaeology revival in Iraq after decades of looting. Over the past few years, thousands of stolen artifacts have been returned to the country.
Today, Iraqis’ views of al-Qadisiyah often reveal their feelings toward Iran.
“We have religious differences, ethnic differences, political differences in Iraq,” Jotheri says. But he adds, “We all agree that it is a very important battle, a decisive one, and we all know about it.”
Why? It’s hard to predict how things long forgotten may be revealed, but all things are uncovered and laid bare to God. (Hebrews 4:13)
Recommended Reading: For more about warfare through the ages, see DK's Battles That Changed History.
