News

Declassified images from Cold War spy satellites have revealed the presence of hundreds of previously unknown Roman forts in Iraq and Syria, according to a new study. These findings suggest that the eastern border of the ancient Roman Empire may have been less violent than previously believed.

Researchers were already aware of a series of forts spanning a large area from the Tigris River in Iraq to the Euphrates River in Syria. These forts were initially thought to be part of a border wall separating the Romans from the rival empire of Persia. However, the distribution of the newly discovered forts, along with those previously known, suggests that they were actually built to facilitate peaceful trade and travel.

A study published in the journal Antiquity refutes a theory from 1934 by French archaeologist Antoine Poidebard, who believed that these eastern fortifications were constructed to repel invaders. The lead author of the study, Jesse Casana, stated that historians and archaeologists have debated the purpose of these fortifications for decades, but few have questioned the idea that there was a line of forts defining the eastern Roman frontier.

Antoine Poidebard had discovered 116 Roman forts from the second and third century A.D. by taking aerial photographs in the 1920s and 1930s. He theorized that these forts formed a north-south defensive line against Parthians and later the Sassanid Persians. That hypothesis was widely accepted until now.

By analyzing high-resolution images taken by spy satellites in the 1960s and 1970s, researchers have identified 396 previously unknown forts or fort-like structures scattered across the region. This suggests that the border was more fluid than previously thought, with the forts existing not just along the border but throughout it. The purpose of these outposts may have been to protect trade caravans traveling between Rome and the Parthian Empire (later known as the Sassanid Persian Empire).

The study highlights the importance of declassified images in archaeological research, especially considering that many of the forts have been destroyed due to agricultural expansion and urbanization. The researchers anticipate that more discoveries will come with the declassification of other aerial images, such as those taken by U2 spy planes. Jesse Casana emphasizes that the careful analysis of these powerful data has the potential to lead to future discoveries in the Near East and beyond.

The post Declassified Images Reveal Roman Forts in Iraq and Syria appeared first on satProviders.