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Tracing the Forgotten Highways of the Ancient Roman Empire
10 Nov
Summary
- Researchers mapped over 100,000 km of newly identified Roman roads
- The expansive network spanned 300,000 km, enough to circle Earth 7 times
- Map can support future research on connectivity, migration, and disease transmission
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.
