According to Herodotus, in 525 BCE the Persian king Cambyses, son of Cyrus the Great, sent a mighty army of 50,000 men to the oasis at Siwa. Cambyses sent this overwhelming force to crush the Temple of Amun, after its priests refused to recognize his right to rule Egypt.
The ancient historian tells us, however, that a blinding sandstorm sprang up from the Sahara and buried the Persian host alive. They were never heard from again.
For much of the intervening 2,500 years, people have regarded this legend with skepticism. After all, Herodotus includes some pretty amazing flights of fancy in with his historical writing.
However, a team of Italian archaeologists working in the area of Bahrin, not far from Siwa, recently made an incredible discovery. They found a mass grave containing the remains of hundreds of people. Even more tellingly, they also found pottery dated to about 2,500 years ago, as well as jewelry, horse tack and arrow heads fashioned in Achaemenid Persian style.
If it's confirmed, this find could have a profound impact on Iranian history... and on Herodotus' reputation for accuracy.
Photo by Mike-wise on Flickr.com.
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