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Aviation has a long history, dating back over 2,000 years with the invention of kites. In the 18th century, the hot-air balloon was introduced, marking the involvement of humans in flight. In the 1920s, airplanes became a common sight in the sky, and it was during this time that Father Antoine Poidebard, a Jesuit archaeologist and veteran pilot in World War I, pioneered the aerial survey of ancient ruins.

Flying over Syria, Iraq, and Jordan between 1925 and 1932, Father Poidebard observed and photographed hundreds of ancient fortified compounds. He theorized that these were the ruins of fortresses protecting the Roman Empire’s eastern frontier. However, recent declassified images from spy satellites show an additional 396 ancient Roman forts scattered throughout the northern Fertile Crescent, beyond the areas surveyed by Father Poidebard.

Jesse Casana of Dartmouth University and his colleagues present these satellite images and propose a new theory for the purpose of these ruins. They suggest that these forts facilitated the movement of peoples and goods in the region, rather than serving as defensive boundaries. This challenges Father Poidebard’s thesis that these ruins were part of a defensive frontier against incursions from the east.

It is challenging to accurately date these structures, as fortifications have been built in the Near East for thousands of years, and construction continued beyond the Roman period. However, based on recent excavations and surveys, Casana and his team conclude that most of the forts discussed in their article date to the second to sixth centuries, with a small proportion being earlier or later.

The bigger picture, revealed by the spy satellite images, shows an east-west line following the northern edge of the Arabian desert, connecting Mosul in the east with Aleppo in Syria’s west. This challenges Father Poidebard’s hypothesis that the forts ran north to south along the eastern boundary of the empire.

In conclusion, aviation has played a crucial role in uncovering ancient Roman forts in the Middle East. The new discoveries challenge previous theories about the purpose and layout of these forts, suggesting they were more about facilitating cultural exchange and the movement of goods and people rather than being solely for defensive purposes. Further excavation and research are needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of these ancient structures.

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