THE BERYTUS-HELIOPOLIS BAALBAK ROAD IN THE ROMAN PERIOD: A LEAST COST PATH ANALYSIS (original) (raw)
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Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 17-3: 163-189. 2017, 2017
The aim of this paper is to dig deeper in order to gain a better understanding of the territorial logic of Roman roads, following some recent approaches based on the use of digital modelling tools. Taking the case of the so-called via XVII (a ca. 330 km itinerary which joined Bracara Augusta and Asturica Augusta, NW Iberian Peninsula), the paper explores various factors, both natural and cultural, which may have been determinant in the layout of main roads in the Roman period. This study has followed a non-reconstructive methodology based on the theoretical idea of "least-cost paths" implemented by way of GIS tools. The analysis combines different variables which have an impact on human mobility (such as terrain slope and altitude, and the a priori existence of some primary nodes) and different spatial scales of analysis. As an outcome, we have achieved a detailed understanding of the factors behind the layout of this road and, in doing so, we have also drawn some conclusions regarding the historical context of its origin and development. The methodology and some of the results may be pertinent for the analysis of Roman roads elsewhere and, to some extent, for the wider analysis of ancient roads.
P. Verhagen & K. Jeneson (2012). A Roman Puzzle. Trying to Find the Via Belgica with GIS.
A. Chrysanthi, P. Murrieta Flores & C. Papadopoulus: Thinking Beyond the Tool. Archaeological Computing and the Interpretive Process. Oxford: Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2344), pp. 123-130, 2012
In this paper we address the issue of using least cost path (LCP) modelling for a practical case study: the prediction of a 7 km stretch of Roman road (the Via Belgica) in the Dutch province of Limburg. Despite extensive archaeological research, the nature of the evidence is such that it does not allow us to project the route with sufficient confidence. LCP modelling can then be helpful to develop possible scenarios, departing from the available evidence and general assumptions about Roman road building. Using these scenarios, we managed to come up with a few plausible routes that we hope to test in the near future. Developing the scenarios made us think harder about the nature of Roman road building strategies and the interpretation of the available evidence. However, we also had to conclude that the available tools and theories are not very well suited for the kind of models that we would like to produce.
The use of GIS tools to explore questions related to movement in archaeological contexts has been common in the last years. Least Cost Paths (LCP) have been especially successful among them, most often with the objective of predicting or reconstructing the layout of ancient routes. In this paper we propose an alternate use of those tools, aimed at trying to identify the main locations taken into account when defining the routes, rather than at predicting or reconstructing them. Through a rather simple and straightforward methodological sequence, based on the successive testing of very explicit hypotheses, we show how this approach can produce significant new knowledge while dodging some typical issues of LCP analysis. We illustrate the approach with the case study of the Roman roads in the north-west Iberian Peninsula.
A STUDY OF THE ROMAN ROAD NETWORK IN HUNGARY USING GIS.
The initial aim of the dissertation was the reconstruction of the road network of Roman Pannonia by collecting the data on identifiable Roman road remains on the territory of modern Hungary, the collation of the data with other information on the known archaeological sites, and its integration into an archaeological GIS. During the collection of the data and the linking of the data to sites and locations (and geographic co-ordinates), I found that the reliability of the available data could be seriously challenged and thus the initial objective slipped farther and farther away. It became apparent that the seemingly secure courses of Roman roads as reconstructed by previous research were often based on inadequate and imprecise information, and thus the emphasis shifted to the mosaic-like collection of the available evidence.
In this paper we aim to present the preliminary result of two cases studies focused on the predictive and postdictive approach to historical routes. We developed and tested the procedure in two different geographical areas: northern Lazio and the valley of the Kings in Egypt. Our work is based on three steps. The first one is predictive. We evaluated the movement in a given geographical context and period. In this phase we produced several potential paths between two known settlements, by changing the weight of the environmental and cultural factors. In the second step we verified the prediction directly on the field. The last step is postdictive. We change the question and we ask why did they use exactly those paths. We modelled several cumulative cost surfaces to produce a simulation that overlaps as much as possible the historical paths. Thus, we can understand and evaluate which were the key factors that constrained the route network.
Juxtaposing GIS and Archaeologically Mapped Ancient Road Routes
Geographies, 2022
Mapping ancient roads is crucial to tell credible geospatial stories about where, how, or why different people might have travelled or transported materials within and between places in the distant past. Achieving this process is challenging and commonly accomplished by means of archaeological and GIS methods and materials. It is not uncommon for different experts employing these methods to generate inconsistent delineations of the same ancient roads, creating confusion about how to produce knowledge and decisions based on multiple geospatial perspectives. This yet to be adequately addressed problem motivates our desire to enrich existing literature on the nature and extents of these differences. We juxtapose GIS and archaeologically generated road maps for northern Etruria, a region of ancient Italy with a well-developed road network built by the Etruscans and Romans. We reveal map differences through a map comparison approach that integrates a broad set of qualitative and quantitative measures plus geospatial concepts and strategies. The differences are evident in route locations, sinuosities, lengths, and complexities of the terrains on which the routes were set as defined by subtle variations in elevation, slope, and ruggedness. They ranged from 11.2–34.4 km in road length, 0–65.7 m in road relief, 1.0–13.5% in mean road grade, 0.07–0.79 in detour indices and 0.19–3.08 for mean terrain roughness indices, all of which can be considerable depending on application. Taken together, the measures proved effective in furthering our understanding of the range of possible disagreements between ancient linear features mapped by different experts and methods and are extensible for other application areas. They point to the importance of explicitly acknowledging and maintaining all usable perspectives in geospatial databases as well as visualization and analysis processes, regardless of levels of disagreement, and especially where ground-truth informed assessments cannot be reliably performed.
Least Cost Path (LCP) analysis has been thought of as being environmentally deterministic, with an overemphasis of environmental factors on cultural activity (Gaffney and van Leusen, 1995; Taliaferro et al., 2010; van Leusen, 1999). Due to this, this thesis will investigate whether LCP analysis is a viable technique for predicting the location of Roman roads in two distinct zones in Roman Britain: the north and west, also known as the Highland zone, which is characterised by steep slopes and rugged mountains (Collingwood and Myres, 1936; Salway, 2001), and the south and east, known as the Lowland zone, and characterised by flat land and few hills (Collingwood and Myres, 1936; Ottaway, 2007). To do this, components within the LCP calculation that can affect the accuracy of computed LCP will be assessed, with the hypothesis proposed that LCP analysis will more accurately predict the location of known Roman roads in the Highland zone of Roman Britain due to its more mountainous terrain. The results identified that the accuracy of the LCP computation is sensitive to the components that are incorporated into the LCP calculation, with the accuracy of the computed LCP increasing with the use of more directions in the calculation, as well as using higher resolution elevation data. In addition, the time based MárquezPérez et al. (2017) Modified Hiking Function produced the most accurate LCP when compared to more established cost functions, such as the Tobler‟s Hiking Function (1993). The comparison of the accuracy of the LCP computed for the four study areas identified that the LCPs were more accurate in the Highland zone, compared to the Lowland zone, with 65% lying within 250m from the known Roman roads in the Highland zone to 31% in the Lowland zone. Furthermore, the Higuchi viewshed was found to be an effective method at determining whether Roman roads were constructed with the need to be visible. This thesis has determined that future LCPs analysis studies should use the highest number of directions and the highest resolution elevation data available as to ensure the most accurate LCPs are generated. In addition, multiple cost functions should be compared and assessed in order to ensure the most applicable cost function has been used. Lastly, the resultant LCPs suggest that, if social processes are poorly known, the use of LCP analysis is more appropriate for predicting Roman roads in the mountainous Highland zone, where the roads were constrained by topography. Furthermore, these findings suggest, in general, the use of LCP analysis is more suitable to predicting ancient roads in mountainous regions, and should therefore be used with caution in areas of flat land or significant social subjectivity in the modification of the landscape.
In Finding the Limits of the Limes. Modelling Demography, Economy and Transport on the Edge of the Roman Empire, Verhagen, P., Joyce, J., Groenhuijzen, M., Eds. Springer International Publishing: 2019; pp. 291-311., 2019
GIS-based digital modelling tools, such as the well-known least cost paths (LCP), have been widely used in archaeology in recent years as ways of approaching forms of mobility in the past. Roman roads are among the best-known examples of ancient networks of paths and have been widely studied using such approaches. In this paper, we shall make a general reflection on the applicability of those tools for the modelling and analysis of ancient routes, with a special focus on Roman roads. Drawing from a case study in the NW Iberian Peninsula, we shall discuss certain aspects related to the potential and limits of Cumulative Costs, LCP and other related tools for the modelling and analysis of ancient roads. We will illustrate how the use of tools which explore potential mobility in less restricted ways can help to overcome some of the limitations of LCP.
Limes XXIIII. Proceedings of the 24 th International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies, Serbia 2018, 2024
New research on ancient roads in Gaulanitis and in the territory of Antiochia Hippos was prompted by re-discovery of undocumented road segment at the bottom of modern water reservoir. The questions that are dealt with in the article are a) how to distinguish Roman from other ancient roads; b) what is the westward continuation of the known segment of the Roman road; and c) whether anepigraphic/illegible milestones can help us establish the date of the road. The research was undertaken in three phases: 1) GIS analysis locating optimal routes in the region using cumulative focal mobility network analysis. The results are used in concordance with historical maps as a tool for field survey evaluating westward continuation of the known Roman road. 2) Survey of the physical remains of the various stretches of the ancient roads focusing on the physical characteristics of the roads (construction methods, dimensions etc.). Three presumably pre-modern roads were surveyed. 3) Metrological study of the Judaean and Golan milestones. This may clarify the dating of anepigraphic milestones and thus allow dating of the road system as well. The westward continuation of the Roman road is to be sought on the northwestern side of the Lawiye ridge, which stands out as principal ascent in the region. The Roman road could be clearly distinguished from other "old" roads in the area, which are tentatively dated to Medieval/Modern period. The metrological study of the milestones did not yield conclusive results due to deficiencies in milestone data.
Environment, Development and Sustainability
Improving the accessibility to archaeological sites in a desert is a crucial issue; it enhances the landscape value and helps in achieving sustainable tourism development. El-Fayoum Oasis and Governorate in Egypt, has a unique heterogenic environment that encompasses desert, lakes, agriculture lands, and urban areas. It is quite rich in historical heritage reflected by abundant archaeological and cultural sites, many of which fall in desert zones. A main constraint is the poor or lack of accessibility to such sites. In this study, we designed a geospatial model for planning a sustainable least cost tourist route (path) to link and develop three archaeological sites namely; Madinet Madi, Watfa city and Ummal-Barijat ruins. Spatial multicriteria decision analysis was integrated with the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the least cost path modules. Three cost criteria themes were created associated with economic, social and environmental costs. A cost surface and a least-cost pa...