It's quite weird having local footpaths and paved roads that turn out to have been constructed by the Romans originally - around here that also applies to canals, drainage ditches, etc. It just blends into modern reality.
I imagine some of the Roman stuff was built on even older roads and channels.
mr_toad•6mo ago
> I imagine some of the Roman stuff was built on even older roads and channels.
Watling street was paved by Romans, but at least part of the route was a road used by local Britons long before the Romans invaded.
CharlesXY•6mo ago
Man I love LiDAR, on another note we need to LiDAR the entire amazon forest bc of what is just waiting to be discovered
countrymile•6mo ago
Lidar has been a game changer. Also, in the UK context, new developments will often require archeologists to survey the land before ground works can start. There are piles of photographs of fields from the RAF, US air force and Luftwaffe. And names of places and roads often reveal ancient origins. If you meet somewhere with chester or caster in it, e.g. Manchester, that suggests a Roman origin. The same for stret and strat.
KineticLensman•6mo ago
And if you live on a UK housing estate or business park whose road names include 'Comet', 'Lysander', 'Mosquito', etc, etc, it was probably a WW2 airfield that was re-developed. E.g. Where I had my first job
mark_undoio•6mo ago
I imagine some of the Roman stuff was built on even older roads and channels.
mr_toad•6mo ago
Watling street was paved by Romans, but at least part of the route was a road used by local Britons long before the Romans invaded.