Researchers unveil ancient conqueror’s forgotten city in war-torn desert

Archaeologists in Southern Iraq have identified the site of ancient Alexandria, a large port city founded by Alexander the Great, located near the Tigris River.

The site is located at Jebel Khayyaber near the border of Iran, and the city is said to have been founded in the late 4th century BC, Archaeology News reported. Researchers have been there since 2014, but were having a difficult time making progress in their research due to the terrorist group ISIS controlling large parts of Northern Syria and Iraq at the time, according to a University of Konstanz (UoK) report written in German.

Researchers were limited to only doing surface-level studies on the ancient site due to the security situation caused by ISIS occupation, according to the UoK. All foreign archaeologists on the site had to be accompanied by police officers or soldiers and were not able to leave the camp located on the site, per the German university.

New surface mapping done on the site shows there to be temples, streets, canals, zones for industry, and large blocks, according to Ancient Origins. Drones and geophysics helped aid archeologists in making this discovery.

The scale of the city makes researchers believe its rediscovery extremely important because it did not function as a minor outpost but rather a large-scale trading hub connecting Mesopotamia to the river traffic, routes into the Persian Gulf, and trade networks that went into Asia and India, the outlet reported.

The city — one of the about 20 Alexander the Great named after himself — existed in the historical record under different names such as Charax Spasinou, after the conqueror’s death at the age of 32, according to Ancient Origins. Ancient Roman sources mention the city, and the writings suggest it remained relevant long after Alexander’s death.

The city’s sedimentation record gives archaeologists an indication as to why the city fell into ruin, according to Ancient Origins. The record shows the coastline migrating south with the Tigris River shifting towards the west, which cut the city off from water access.

Alexandria’s harbor lost direct access to the main river channel, according to Archaeology News. The city needed water access to remain a port and shipment center, and without that access, it gradually fell into decline and was then abandoned, Ancient Origins reported.

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