A joint research team from Al-Qadisiyah University and Durham University in Britain, in cooperation with the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage in Iraq, was able to discover a number of archaeological sites and landmarks such as castles, forts and trenches, as well as determine the exact location of the historic Battle of Al-Qadisiyah, which took place in 637 AD (15 AH). The team included Dr. William Dedman, Dr. Christine Hooper and Dr. Anthea Crane from Durham University in Britain, Assistant Professor Dr. Jaafar Al-Jawdhari and Assistant Professor Dr. Rajwan Al-Mayali from the Department of Archaeology at Al-Qadisiyah University, and Mr. Ahmed Abdul-Jabbar Khamas from the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage, Baghdad. The initial results of this research were published in Antiquity, a prestigious international journal classified within the Scopus and Clarivate containers and from the first quarter, and published by Cambridge Publishing House in Britain. In this research, remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems were used in addition to field archaeological survey to identify archaeological landmarks in the study area. Historical facts, news and narratives mentioned in major historical sources such as the books of Al-Tabari, Ibn Battuta and Ibn Al-Athir were also used, which describe the landmarks and geography of the region.
\nThe discovery identified the ancient Euphrates River, which was crossed by the armies of the Sassanid Empire, the Shapur Trench, which was crossed by the Arab Islamic army, the Qadisiyah Castle, where the Arab Islamic army camped, and the Saint’s Fort, which the commander of the Arab Islamic army took as his headquarters, in addition to the battlefield located between the Euphrates River and the Shapur Trench.
\nIt is worth noting that these archaeological landmarks are located in the Ain Al-Hassan area, which is 13 km west of the Al-Mashkhab district in the Najaf Governorate, between the desert and the alluvial plain. The importance of this discovery is due to the fact that the remains of the Battle of Al-Qadisiyah are located on the Kufa Hajj Road (Darb Zubaydah), which is one of the archaeological landmarks nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List, which constitutes a unique achievement added to Iraq\u2019s archaeological achievements and a new site added to the other Iraqi sites included on the Heritage List. The President of Al-Qadisiyah University, Prof. Dr. Kazim Jabr Al-Jubouri, praised this global scientific and research cooperation between Al-Qadisiyah University and Durham University in Britain, which hosted a group of scientific activities, including working on joint scientific research between researchers from these two venerable institutions. The Dean of the College of Archaeology, Assistant Professor Dr. Rajwan Faisal Al-Mayali, also valued this great achievement, stating, \u201cI am very happy with this wonderful scientific research partnership between researchers from Al-Qadisiyah University and Durham University, who were able to discover the exact location of this historical event during their work together. We also hope that the research path between researchers and students from the two universities will continue in an effort to find new discoveries and uncover the secrets and mysteries of the antiquities and history of Mesopotamia in a way that serves the history of Iraq and its reputation in international forums and revives an ancient civilization that is a source of pride for all.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"