WASHINGTON (AP) — As the saying goes, all roads go once. led to rome A new digital atlas published on Thursday says the roads are 50% longer than previously known.
the last major atlas ancient rome Road Network was published 25 years ago. Since then, advances in technology and other newly accessible sources have greatly expanded researchers’ ability to identify ancient roads.
For 5 years, team of archaeologists Passed through historical recordancient diaries, milestone locations, etc. archive data. Scientists then looked for clues in satellite images and aerial photographs, including recently digitized photos taken from airplanes during World War II.
When ancient writings suggested lost roads in a particular area, researchers analyzed the terrain from the air, looking for subtle traces (such as subtle differences in vegetation, variations in soil, changes in elevation, and signs of ancient engineering such as raised mounds or cut hillsides) to reveal where Roman trails once ran.
“This becomes a massive connect-the-dots game on a continental scale,” says Tom Blumans, an archaeologist and co-author of the book. research has been published With scientific data.
Data and interactive digital maps are also provided. available online For academics, history teachers, or anyone interested in ancient Roman history.
Previous research has focused on the “roads of the Roman Empire,” or the main thoroughfares most often mentioned in popular historical accounts, Brumans said.
Brumans, who is based at Denmark’s Aarhus University, said the updated map fills in unclear details about “service roads, such as country roads, connecting holiday homes and farms” and other locations.
Researchers have previously calculated the extent of Roman roads to be approximately 117,163 miles (188,555 kilometers). The new work shows about 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) of roads across the extent of the Roman Empire, allowing travel from Spain to Syria.
The research further deepened archaeologists’ knowledge of ancient roads in North Africa, the French plains and Greece’s Peloponnese.
“This will be a very fundamental study for many other studies,” said archaeologist Benjamin Dutke of the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin, who was not involved in the project.
However, it is important to note that it is not yet clear whether all roads were once open and passable at the same time, he said.
Being able to visualize the ancient routes taken by Roman farmers, soldiers, diplomats and other travelers could help us better understand important historical trends that depended on Roman movement, such as the rise of Christianity and the spread of ancient infectious diseases across the region, Bluemans said.
“The Romans left a huge influence on this road network,” said study co-author Adam Pajuut, an archaeologist at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, adding that they created blueprints for many of the roads that are still in use today.
The feats of Roman engineering for building and maintaining roads, such as arched stone bridges and tunnels cut through hillsides, still shape the geography and economy of the Mediterranean region and beyond, he said.
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