Digital atlas reveals a far larger Roman road network
A new digital atlas published in the journal Scientific Data reveals that ancient Roman roads were roughly 50% longer than previously estimated, expanding the mapped network from about 117,163 miles (188,555 km) to nearly 186,000 miles (300,000 km). The updated map traces routes that once enabled travel across the Roman world, from Spain to Syria.
How researchers extended the map
Over five years, an international team of archaeologists combined traditional archival work — including historical records, classical journals and milestone locations — with modern remote sensing. Analysts examined satellite imagery and aerial photography, notably recently digitized World War II photos, to detect subtle landscape signatures such as vegetation changes, soil marks, slight elevation shifts and remnants of engineered features like raised embankments and cut hillsides.
“It becomes a massive game of connecting the dots on a continental scale,” said Tom Brughmans, an archaeologist and co-author of the study.
The project focused not only on the well-known imperial highways recorded in classical sources but also on secondary routes — the country lanes and local connections that linked farms, villas and smaller settlements. These lesser-documented tracks are what produce much of the added mileage in the new atlas.
Regional gains and limitations
The atlas substantially improves knowledge of ancient roads in regions such as North Africa, the plains of France and Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula. Benjamin Ducke of the German Archaeological Institute, who was not involved in the project, called the dataset “foundational” for future research but cautioned that it is still unclear whether all recorded roads were open and in use at the same time.
Being able to visualize these routes will help researchers better understand historical processes that depended on movement across the Roman world — from military logistics to the spread of religions and disease. “The Romans left a huge impact with this road network,” said co-author Adam Pažout of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, noting that Roman engineering and maintenance practices created the blueprint for many modern roads.
Access: The authors have made the underlying data and an interactive map available online for scholars, educators and the public.
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