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LiDAR Reveals Hidden Inca Road Network Across the River from Machu Picchu
More than 2.5 kilometers of previously undocumented roads have emerged from beneath the rainforest surrounding Machu Picchu, revealing human activity in an area long overshadowed by the famous Inca citadel. The roads were identified on the slopes of Yanantin Mountain, across the Urubamba River from the main archaeological complex. Drone-mounted LiDAR also detected unknown terraces,…
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20-Meter Stretch of Ancient Main Street Unearthed at Gortyn in Crete
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Gortyn on Crete have uncovered about 20 meters of stone paving from one of the city’s main streets, together with evidence that the route was resurfaced several times during the later centuries of Gortyn’s occupation. The discovery was made along the West Street during the third excavation campaign carried…
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2,000-Year-Old Theatre Street Unearthed at Aspendos with Shops, Bakery and Ancient Sewer
Archaeologists at Aspendos in southern Turkey have uncovered nearly 300 metres of a 2,000-year-old street lined with shops, houses, public buildings and a well-preserved bread oven. Known as the Theatre Street, the road once connected Aspendos’s famous Roman theatre with the acropolis above. It was one of the ancient city’s main internal routes, carrying residents…
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The Digital Road Map of the Roman Empire: Scientists Rebuild a 180,000-Mile Ancient Network
A vast digital reconstruction of the Roman Empire’s road network—covering nearly 180,000 miles—has just been completed, revealing the empire’s highways with unprecedented accuracy. The ambitious project, named Itiner-e, stands as the most comprehensive digital atlas ever created for the ancient world. Built by an international team of more than twenty researchers, the model visualizes how…