Archaeological breakthrough sheds light on Iraq’s mysterious earthworks

Archaeologists may have finally unraveled the origins of the extensive network of ridges and canals in Southern Iraq, shedding new light on a centuries-old mystery.

Recent evidence suggests that these massive earthworks, once believed to be part of an ancient agricultural system, were likely constructed using slave labor, Caliber.Az reports per Independent. 

An international team of archaeologists has provided support for this theory by dating sections of the enormous structures, revealing they were built over several centuries beginning around the time of a major slave uprising in the 9th century A.D.

Published in the journal Antiquity, the study offers fresh insights into the region’s history and social dynamics. The enslaved people involved, known as the “Zanj”—a medieval Arabic term referring to the East African Swahili coast—led a significant revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate in 869 A.D. This rebellion lasted over a decade until Abbasid forces regained control in 883 A.D. Today, many descendants of these enslaved communities live in Basra, a major southern port city in Iraq.

“This [finding] is very important,” said Jaafar Jotheri, archaeology professor at the University of Al-Qadisiyah and part of the research team. “What is next actually is to protect at least some of these huge structures for future work. It is minority heritage.”

The team used recent satellite imagery alongside archival photos from the 1960s to identify over 7,000 large manmade ridges spread across the Shaṭṭ al-Arab floodplain. Radiocarbon and luminescence dating of samples from four ridge crests dated their construction from the late ninth to mid-thirteenth centuries, confirming slave labor likely continued for centuries after the rebellion.

These findings highlight that the earthworks were in use much longer than previously thought and represent a vital part of Iraq’s landscape heritage.

This discovery comes as Iraq’s archaeology sector experiences a revival after decades of conflict had halted excavations and led to widespread looting. Recently, thousands of stolen artifacts have been recovered and repatriated, marking a hopeful new chapter for the nation’s rich cultural history.

By Naila Huseynova