Archaeologists working as part of the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North African (EAMENA) project at the University of Oxford have made a groundbreaking discovery. Using open-source satellite imagery, particularly Google Earth Pro, the researchers have uncovered three previously unknown Roman military camps in what is now Saudi Arabia. The camps, believed to be part of a campaign to annex the Nabataean Kingdom, shed new light on Roman military operations in the region.
The findings, detailed in an article published in the prestigious journal Antiquity, were authored by four researchers from Oxford’s school of archaeology. The lead author, Michael Fradley, expressed the significance of their discovery. He stated, “Prior to our new paper, there were only four known temporary Roman army camps from across Jordan, so the three new camps identified by our survey is an important addition.”
What makes these camps particularly intriguing is their arrangement. The researchers noticed that the camps were positioned in a straight line with nearly identical distances between them. This led them to confidently infer that the camps were interconnected and part of a single campaign. Moreover, they speculate that the likely target of this campaign was Dumat al-Jandal, located in present-day Saudi Arabia.
The Roman military camps exhibit distinct features that indicate Roman design, including a playing-card shape and symmetrical entrances. They are situated on the barren west side of the Valley of Sirhan, which spans both Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as in central Jordan. Interestingly, there are hardly any remains of nearby structures, suggesting that the land has remained relatively untouched over the centuries.
According to historical sources, there was a caravan route that mirrors the route between the newly discovered camps. This observation led the authors to propose that the camps might have served as a strategic advantage, either allowing surprise attacks on the Jawf region or facilitating flanking maneuvers in a larger military campaign.
Fradley highlighted the importance of this research in challenging prevailing historical narratives. He stated, “This research is important because it provides some of the clearest evidence to date that the Roman takeover of the Nabatean kingdom after 106 C.E. may not have been as peaceful as the surviving Roman histories suggest if we are correct in our assumption of when these camps were built, and that the Roman army may have actively campaigned to bring the kingdom under the control of Rome.”
The discovery of these previously unknown Roman military camps sheds new light on the ancient history of Saudi Arabia and the broader Roman Empire. It underscores the value of utilizing advanced satellite imagery technologies like Google Earth Pro in archaeological research, allowing scholars to uncover hidden historical treasures that have long been buried in the sands of time.