{
  "id": 16048630,
  "title": "Mapped: Every known (and suspected) road in the Roman Empire",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/mapped-every-known-and-suspected-road-in-the-roman-empire",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-22T13:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Big Think",
    "slug": "big-think",
    "url": "https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/roman-road-networks/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rome's road network was 59% larger than previously thought, according to a recent study. The Itiner-e project, led by a team of researchers, mapped a network of 186,000 miles (just under 300,000 km) of roads across the Roman Empire at its largest extent. This was during the 2nd century AD, when the Empire stretched from Hadrian's Wall in northern England to the western shores of the Persian Gulf.\n\nThe previous Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilizations (DARMC) only listed around 117,100 miles (188,500 km) of roads. The new figure is significantly larger, showing that the old maps may have underestimated the true extent of Roman road infrastructure.\n\nRoman roads were not just used for transporting people and goods; they also facilitated the spread of ideas and religions. An altar to the Persian god Mithras, discovered in Scotland in 2010, is located at the northern edge of Rome's road network, demonstrating this global influence.\n\nThe Itiner-e researchers emphasized that their work did not reveal any \"secret\" or \"lost\" highways, but rather a more comprehensive and precise record of existing roads and suspected roads. They categorized the roads as confirmed, conjectured, or hypothetical, highlighting the uncertainties that often accompany historical research.\n\nThe atlas created by Itiner-e is not a definitive catalog, but it does provide a more accurate and nuanced understanding of Roman road infrastructure. By evaluating the confidence level of each road segment, the researchers aim to encourage further research and refine our understanding of Rome's road network.",
  "summary": "Rome wasn’t built in a day . All roads lead to Rome . A recent study now links those two well-worn proverbs by suggesting that the footprint of Roman road infrastructure was 59% larger than previously thought. The revelation isn’t just quantitative — a network with a finer mesh might change what we think life was like across Rome’s vast domain. From Hadrian’s Wall to the Persian Gulf The findings…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}