Researchers have used declassified U.S. spy satellite images to identify the site of the ancient Battle of al-Qadisiyyah in Iraq, dating back nearly 1,500 years. The battle was a crucial victory for Arab Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate over the Sasanian Empire. The team of archaeologists from Durham University and the University of Al-Qadisiyah made the discovery while conducting a remote sensing survey and found a six-mile-long double wall feature linking a military complex and a large settlement. Ground surveys confirmed the accuracy of the remote interpretation of the satellite imagery, and the team plans to begin excavations at the site in the coming year.