Modeling a key limes: Least-cost and spatial analysis to uncover a Roman intramountainous path in the Aures, Algeria

Abstract

The present paper investigates the contribution of modern archaeology techniques in affirming a hypothesis on a Roman road in a territory long considered isolated. The adopted approach seeks to emphasize the chrono-historical potential of the Wadi Abiod valley in the Aures (Saharan Atlas), despite its geoenvironmental conditions being not well understood, using new and more in-depth studies to support Roman archaeological research. Accordingly, this work applies an integrated approach of research-combined methodologies, and technologies linked to the least-cost path (LCP) modeling on an archaeological case study previously analyzed using the typo-morphological circuit modeling, with a review of the pros and cons of these methods for the understanding of past movement. The research delivers new insights into the Roman expansion mechanisms in the valley, enhancing the idea of rediscovering the Roman limes and taking a multidisciplinary approach that explores the complex relationships between classical and modern analysis. The paper highlights the necessity of interconnecting multi-source information to reconstruct ancient routes, considering the geoenvironmental and cultural influence of ridgeways in shaping past mobility.