Viae ad Deultum: Spatial Perspectives on Roman Road Infrastructure in Southeastern Thrace

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive spatial analysis of Roman road infrastructure in Southeastern Thrace, focusing on the hinterland of Deultum. Based on six years of intensive field surveys (2018–2023) conducted as part of the “Archaeological Map of Bulgaria” project, we registered 109 archaeological sites across 32 sq. km within Sredets Municipality. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we apply cumulative focal mobility network (CFMN) and central point network (CPN) analyses to examine the potential of the ancient communication networks in the region. Our methodology integrates archaeologically confirmed settlement sites with terrain-based modelling. The analysis reveals distinct mobility patterns across the diverse topography, from unconstrained movement in the Burgas Lowlands to channelled routes through the Strandzha Mountains. Key findings include the identification of previously undocumented links between Deultum – Cabyle and Deultum – Hadrianopolis, supported by strong correlations between modelled routes and archaeological site distributions. While acknowledging the limitations of purely topographical modelling, our results demonstrate that computational approaches can significantly enhance the understanding of Roman transport infrastructure, particularly in regions where direct archaeological evidence remains scarce.