Declassified Cold War Satellite Imagery Reveals 396 Undocumented Roman Forts in Middle East, Challenging Prevailing Theories on Roman Expansion

Analysis Using Declassified Satellite Imagery Upends Previous Understanding of Roman Expansion, Indicating Forts Serve for Resource Transit, Not Just Military Defense

• Declassified Cold War satellite imagery has led to the discovery of 396 previously unknown Roman forts in the Middle East, challenging the prevailing understanding of Roman expansion in the region.
• The study, led by Dartmouth College, refutes earlier theories that the forts were built along a north-south axis to demarcate the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire. Instead, the findings indicate the forts were distributed from east to west, spanning from Mosul on the Tigris River to Aleppo in western Syria.
• Contrary to former belief that the forts served a defensive military purpose, the new findings suggest they facilitated the movement of troops, supplies, and trade goods across the region, essentially functioning as safe transit zones for caravans.
• The distinctive shape and design of the forts helped the researchers identify them in the satellite imagery. They were large enough to accommodate soldiers, horses, or camels and were constructed from stone, mud-brick, or a combination of both.
• While the team was able to locate 38 of the previously documented forts, the majority discovered from the satellite imagery were new findings. The results of this study fundamentally challenge the current historical understanding of the Roman Empire's expansion strategy.

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