Simulation of Transport between the Adriatic Sea and the Danube

Project Information

STRADA

Grant agreement ID: 101001835

DOI

10.3030/101001835

EC signature date 31 May 2021

Start date 1 August 2021

End date 31 July 2026

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 923 805,00

EU contribution

€ 1 923 805,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT TRIER
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - STRADA (Simulation of Transport between the Adriatic Sea and the Danube)

Reporting period: 2024-08-01 to 2026-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Even though transports - and travel in general - had a bad reputation in the discourses of Roman elites, recent research clearly shows that they had a decisive influence on the prosperity of the Roman economy and thus on the long-term existence of the Roman Empire. Therefore, it is an absolute necessity to study Roman inland transport in a transdisciplinary manner, combining the latest technological developments with experimental data and profound historical and archaeological research in order to obtain as realistic assessments as possible of transport times. The goal of STRADA is to develop a agent-based simulation system for water and land-based transport between the Adriatic and the Danube.

STRADA is oriented towards three main objectives:
The spatiotemporal investigation of the economic connections between the Italian heartland (particularly the Regio decima) and the Danube frontier, aiming for a better understanding of the long-term development of the Roman Empire.
The analysis of the influence of environmental factors on the ancient transportation system.
The introduction of dynamic simulations into historical research.

In its execution, the project will focus on three closely intertwined areas:

The precise reconstruction of ancient land and water routes.
The experimental determination of the performance capabilities of the used land and water-based means of transportation under changing environmental conditions.
The development of a computer-based simulation system incorporating local fine-grained topography, historical weather data, various modes of transportation (by water and by land) with different cargoes, the fatigue of the actors involved, as well as necessary breaks and loading times.

The modular structure of STRADA ensures its sustainable use and future expansion, making it easily adaptable to other times and places.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the first half of the project, an agent-based simulation system was developed as a pilot, which already takes into account weather data, slope, and seasonal variations in daylight hours.
For the reconstruction of the transport routes, which includes waterways, roads and infrastructure, a data model was developed, implemented in a relational database and included in the GIS as well as in the simulation platform. The Roman road and waterway system for the region of present-day Carinthia (Austria) as well as parts of Salzburg (Austria) and Styria (Austria) were reconstructed based on archaeological evidence and old maps, along with modern scientific data (hydrology, geology, digital terrain models) as well as latest imaging techniques (thermal and multispectral drones as well as sonar). Until February 2024

- a total of 282 archaeological features concerning land- and water-ways as well as infrastructure have been recorded. A total of approximately 219 pages of text have already been produced in this way
- a total of 27 lakes of different sizes, from 1 km2 up to 10,7 km², are fully recorded.
- 15 different river systems were reconstructed with a total length of 1.379 km of river systems and 1538 water depth points were measured
- a set of texts are created for each river and lake (75 pages)
- 30 routes and 117 hubs have been reconstructed in the course of this work. The hubs are distributed over 40 settlements 52 crossings, 11 bridges, 2 harbors, 1 quarry, 11 river crossings

In the second half of the project, the Austrian federal states of Salzburg, Upper Austria, and parts of Styria, as well as the route between the Alps and Aquileia, will be archaeologically investigated to preserve the entire route from Aquileia to Lauriacum. Another focus will be on determining the performance factors of transportation methods. Currently, a Roman cart is being reconstructed, which will be used for experiments with loads in autumn 2024. Additionally, for summer 2024, in addition to the trials already conducted on river vessels, further tests are scheduled.
It is planned to have the performance factors implemented into the system by mid-2025, in order to commence with the historical contextualization of the results from autumn 2025 after the initial calculations of travel times and validation of the system.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Since the goal of the project is the creation of a simulation system to calculate traffic times over the Alps as realistically as possible and the crucial factors influencing performance are still pending, no final statement can be made at this time.

Nonetheless, at the halfway point, the following significant progress beyond state of the art can already be stated:
- The development of a pilot agent-based simulation system, pilot, which already takes into account weather data, slope, and seasonal variations in daylight hours.
- The development of data models and specific workflows for the reconstruction of ancient rivers, roads and infrastructure.
- Through the targeted use of new imaging techniques and the openly available data from surveying offices (especially orthophotos), a number of new archaeological sites have been identified, documented, and communicated to the state authorities in the Carinthia region.
- The introduction of simulation technology as a source for historical sciences, which was evidenced by numerous participations in conferences and discussion groups, as well as curricular and extracurricular courses for students and doctoral candidates.