Desert War, Desert Archaeology. T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt, 1916-18 - Nicholas J. Saunders

Ten years of archaeological investigation along the route of the Hejaz Railway in the desert sands of southern Jordan has uncovered sites lost for nearly a century, revealing a different story of the origins of modern guerrilla warfare and the dramatic events of the Arab Revolt of 1916-18. Discoveries of vast campsites occupied by railway builders, along with Ottoman Turkish machine-gun redoubts, Rolls Royce Armoured Car raiding camps, an ephemeral Royal Air Force desert aerodrome and the actual site of the Hallat Ammar railway ambush, shed new light on the exploits of T. E. Lawrence, Emir Feisal and Bedouin warriors. Dr. Nicholas J. Saunders, author of “Desert Insurgency: Archaeology, T. E. Lawrence, and the Arab Revolt,” expands on a seminal episode of WWI and how it reshaped the Middle East.
Hosted in partnership with the T. E. Lawrence Society.
For more information about the National WWI Museum and Memorial visit theworldwar.org

[@coleparker]

I love this video. As a retired Archaeologists myself, I have done this type of Archaeological investigation in the Military camps, and railroad and pipe line construction and mining camps in the California and AZ deserts. General George Patton's training camps came to mind when I first saw this youtube. I am rather envious of them and their work.

[@antonrudenham3259]

I was in Wadi Rum with the British army back in the 80's and I have a hazy memory of wondering how a steam train we found could have been there because there was no trace of railway lines. Of course I was young and ignorant of the Arab revolt and the Hejaz railway back then.

[@dantesarracino]

Wonderful and ironic that Lawrence's exploits are now being dug up.