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Open Itiner-e Atlas Maps 299,171 Kilometers of Roman Roads With Confidence Ratings

Built from classical sources integrated with remote sensing, the resource sets a common baseline for future studies.

Overview

  • The study is published in Nature’s Scientific Data with an interactive, editable map available at itiner-e.org.
  • The mapped network nearly doubles earlier estimates of about 188,555 kilometers by incorporating many secondary and rural routes.
  • Researchers combined the Itinerarium Antonini, the Tabula Peutingeriana, milestones, archaeological reports, satellite imagery, and WWII-era and Corona aerial photos to detect and georeference roads.
  • Each segment includes a certainty label, with 2.7% marked as certain, 89.8% as conjectural, and 7.4% as hypothetical to guide verification priorities.
  • The multinational project was led by Aarhus with UAB co-directing, divided work across western and eastern/North African regions, and reports notable expansions in North Africa, parts of France, the Peloponnese, and the Iberian Peninsula.