Iraq: Spy satellite images reveal site of historic Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah

A joint British-Iraqi archaeological team has identified the likely site of the seventh-century Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah, a decisive event in early Islamic history, thanks to declassified 1970s US spy satellite imagery, AP reports.

The Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah, fought in 637CE in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), marked a crucial victory for Arab Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate over the Sassanid Empire, paving the way for the expansion of Islam into Persia. Until now, the exact location of the battle was only approximated.

The team, from Durham University and the University of Al-Qadisiyah, stumbled across the site while using remote sensing technology to map the ancient Darb Zubaydah pilgrimage route from the holy cities of Kufa in Iraq to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. Their findings were published on Tuesday in the journal Antiquity.

Declassified 1970s US spy satellite imagery has led a British-Iraqi archaeological team to what could be the site of a 7th century battle that became decisive in the spread of Islam – the Battle of Al-Qadisiyah – marking a major victory for the Rashidun army over the Persians pic.twitter.com/attdpcXMYf

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William Deadman of Durham University explained that Cold War-era satellite imagery is particularly useful for Middle Eastern archaeology. “The Middle East has developed so much in the last 50 years, both agricultural expansion and urban expansion,” he said. The images revealed features such as a distinctive trench that were “much more pristine and clear” in the 1970s.

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The site, located around 30 kilometres south of Kufa in Iraq’s southern Najaf province, matched descriptions found in historical texts, including two fortresses and a river said to have been crossed by elephant-mounted Persian troops. Pottery shards consistent with the battle’s time period were also discovered.

Jaafar Jotheri, an archaeologist from the University of Al-Qadisiyah, noted: “There is some political and religious context in this battle, because now, of course, we have religious differences, ethnic differences, political differences in Iraq and we read or we view everything based on our … differences.”

”We all agree that it is a very important battle, a decisive one, and we all know about it,” he added.

BOOK REVIEW: The Arab Conquests: The spread of Islam and the first caliphates