Image is a terrain map of Iraq from Google Maps.

Staff Sgt. Luke Koladish, 114th Public Affairs Detachment, writes that Sgt. Ronald Peters, a geospatial analyst whose hometown is Fort Lewis, Washington, with Multi-National Corps – Iraq C-7, has been mapping the archaeological sites of Iraq in his spare time. The article was published online on the Operation Iraqi Freedom’s official website of the Multi-National Force—Iraq on October 27th (2009).

Writes Koladish:

“Back in June, one of the engineers working on future operations wanted to see all the archeological sites in Iraq,” Peters recalled. “Everybody knows this is the cradle of civilization. There’s Babylon, Ur, some pretty famous archeological sites in Iraq.”

As bases were closed and troops withdrew from cities, the existing bases needed to expand, without infringing on historical sites.

Although the country is estimated to have some 12,000 archaeological sites, Peters has mapped only 800.

Closes Koladish:

Peter’s ongoing effort to preserve Iraq’s archeological sites is now part of the U.S. military’s diligence in caring for the ancient sites and history of the Iraqi people as U.S. forces withdraw from the country.

Read Koladish’s full article by clicking here.

Where to find it

Click above to go to a larger Google interactive map of the area.

Posted online on Saturday, October 31st, 2009