Tracing the Forgotten Highways of the Ancient Roman Empire

In a remarkable feat of historical research, a team of international scholars has created a comprehensive visualization of the ancient Roman road network. The new map, named Itiner-e, includes over 100,000 kilometers (62,000 miles) of newly identified routes, spanning a total network of 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) - enough to circle the Earth more than seven times.

The expansive map, which depicts the Roman road system around AD 150, provides a detailed look at how ancient Romans traveled across their vast empire, which stretched from modern-day Britain to Egypt and Syria. The researchers behind the project hope that this groundbreaking visualization will support future studies on the influence of Roman roads on connectivity, migration, and even disease transmission.

To create the map, the researchers cross-referenced a vast array of historical records, satellite imagery, and other data sources. While they were able to pinpoint the exact location of only 2.7% of the roads, the map still offers an unprecedented level of detail and insight into the Roman transportation network. The authors note that this highlights the need for further research to uncover the remaining mysteries of these ancient highways.