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All roads may once have led to Rome, but a new digital atlas published this week says they extend 50% longer than previously known.
The study, called Itiner-e, mapped approximately 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles). roman road The AP reported that it spread across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, extending its known network by more than 100,000 kilometers.
The last comprehensive atlas was released 25 years ago, but it relied on incomplete records and analog maps.
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New digital methods and satellite tools have transformed what people can see today. ancient world, said the researchers.
A team of archaeologists spent five years combing through historical records, ancient journals, milestone locations, and other archival data.
This photo provided by the study’s co-authors shows a fragment of a Roman milestone built along Via Nova Traiana in Jordan. (Adam Pažout/Itiner-e, via AP)
Scientists then looked for clues in satellite images and aerial photographs. This includes recently digitized photos taken from the plane during the flight. World War II, Associated Press reported.
When ancient writings suggested lost roads in certain areas, researchers analyzed the terrain from the air to find subtle traces, such as subtle differences in the topography. Changes in vegetation and soil Elevation changes, evidence of ancient engineering such as raised mounds and cut hillsides.
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These reveal where the Roman paths once were.
“This becomes a massive connect-the-dots game on a continental scale,” Tom Blumans, an archaeologist and co-author of the study published in Scientific Data, told The Associated Press.
Visualizing the ancient routes taken by Roman farmers, soldiers, diplomats and other travelers may help us better understand the important historical trends that depended on the movement of people during the Roman era, study co-authors said. (St. Petersburg)
This atlas charts routes connecting more than 5,000 ancient settlements from Spain to Syria.
Researchers previously tallied the extent of Roman roads at about 117,000 miles (188,000 kilometers), most of which were “Roman highways,” the Associated Press reported.
A new study identifies a vast network of secondary roads connecting holiday homes, farms and military outposts.
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This research has further deepened archaeologists’ knowledge. ancient roads of north africaThe interior plains of France and the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece – areas not well depicted on previous maps.
“This will be a very fundamental study for many other studies,” Benjamin Dutke of the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin, who was not involved in the project, told The Associated Press.
It should be noted that it is not yet clear whether all roads will be opened and passable at the same time, he said.
The updated map fills in more obscure details about “service roads, such as country roads, connecting holiday homes and farms” and other locations (not pictured). (St. Petersburg)
The name Itiner-e comes from ancient Roman itineraries, or travel records, that once recorded distances between official roadside stations and towns.
While previous editions attempted to visualize this world, the new atlas combines historical documents with modern GIS analysis, LiDAR, and crowdsourced archaeological data.
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release from scientific data It shows that only 2% to 3% of mapped routes are “highly certain,” meaning they have a clear physical footprint. The rest are possible or inferred, supported by multiple historical or environmental indicators, the study said.
Visualizing the ancient routes taken by Roman farmers, soldiers, diplomats, and other travelers provides a deeper understanding of the important historical trends that depended on the movement of people during the Roman era, Blumans said. rise of christianity Expansion of the ancient epidemic throughout the region.
According to the study, only 2% to 3% of routes mapped (not shown in photos) have a “high degree of certainty” (clear physical traces remain). (St. Petersburg)
“The Romans left a huge influence on this road network,” said study co-author Adam Pajuut of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​adding that they created blueprints for many of the roads still in use today.
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Experts say the atlas has the potential to reshape scholarship on imperial logistics. trade network and the spread of culture.
“The Romans left a huge influence on this road system.”
Historians studying military supply routes, ancient pandemics, and agricultural distribution can now use open datasets to model how goods and ideas moved.
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The data and interactive maps are free and available to scholars, educators, and the general public at: itiner-e.orgusers will be able to explore routes, milestones and ancient settlements in detail, the Associated Press reported.
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Research findings related to ancient Rome continue to provide compelling insights not only to scientists and scholars, but also to interested travelers and the general public.
Archaeologists recently discovered a huge stone basin in italy It dates back over 2,000 years. It is the remains of what was once a powerful rival to Rome.
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The discovery was made at the ancient site of Gabii, about 11 miles east of Rome. Archaeologists from the University of Missouri discovered the ruins, according to a university press release. Experts estimate that the basin was built around 250 B.C.
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis and The Associated Press contributed reporting.
