Roman streets

In Switzerland some streets were laid open, which are interpreted as roman. I looked up some of that too.

In younger time this is denied from science. People argue, that the service life of these streets was some decades (approx. 30 years). With that the streets were renewal-needy after short time. Besides some sources indicate that the streets were used until in the modern time.

Certainly it is a question of a logical conclusion. Anyway I would like to look at it from another side.

Models of the streets [Top]

The today visible traces can occur variously: Cart tracks, sunken roads and roadways.

Dating [Top]

According to form of the street this looks different

	Cart track: Because only the rock was hewed and not used any other material, no age fixing is possible.
	Sunken roads: Because only earth was removed age fixing is not possible too. If a part of the way was filled with earth at a later time, material could be in this layer of the earth (Waste, and other) which allows an age fixing. With that it can be fixed, how old the way being under this layer of the earth, is in the minimum.
	Roadways: here debris was used and similar things, an age fixing should be therefore possible

Many streets were laid open before the first half of the 20th century. If such are discovered today, material which makes an age fixing possible could be in the layer of the earth above the street. With that could be find out, until when the street was used.

Design [Top]

Here the following questions set:

1. Did the Romans put on actually cart tracks?
2. Which wheel distance did roman vehicles show?

If the question one could be answered with no, many street traces being regarded as Roman ways from other time are. But this is not denied from the science. Furthermore there are two theories about the origin of tracks: natural (through using of the same line through all vehicles) or through man-made. I can not imagine the natural origin. After all these traces are made in the rock.

For the question two. Formerly was accepted, that the track width 108 - 110 cm is roman. The track width of roman cars lay however between 90 and 160 cm. Thus all found cart tracks could be roman.

Today visible traces [Top]

Without doubts the roman road network was removed well. The coarse process is furthermore known from the Tabula Peutingeriana and the Itinerarium Antonini. The question is in which state the streets would be today.

The service life of the streets was dealt already. At a repair there were different possibilities

	Cart track: the rock could have been "rubbed" off (so that the tracks were less deep) or the track was constructed at other place again
	Sunken roads: these were dug presumably, filled with material or constructed on a other place
	Roadways: These were raised presumably again

What would have occurred to the old useless street in the case of building at another place? Cart tracks would presumably hardly have been removed. These are at most through rockfall (for example upper Hauenstein) destroyed. Sunken roads would have been filled in at most. Roadways could have been removed however.

Conclusion [Top]

With that the conclusion that all streets are not roman is also different possible. The question is, is the found street in a good state?

If yes, this can mean following

1. The street was constructed on roman time and later used and possibly repaired
2. The street was constructed on later time

The first possibility would point out however at a roman street (Was the highway A1 constructed in the sixties or at the repairs against the end of the century?).

When no, this can point out also at different possibilities.

1. The street was used only in the roman time and constructed in this time at other place again
2. The street was constructed at the roman time and late kept on being used
3. The street was constructed later

Due to these remarks it is also possible that the found streets are roman in my opinion therefore. Why always the later constructed street should have been discovered?

Going on literature [Top]

I took the state of the investigation and the found street from the following literature. The conclusion is however from me.

Römerwege (Roman ways)

Die Römer in der Schweiz (The Romans in Switzerland)

http://www.viastoria.ch/E/Welcome.htm

Attended places [Top]

28.09.2002 - Canal de la Broye (Bridge)
14.09.2002 - Arch, BE (Surface)
29.06.2002 - Glovelier, JU (Cart ruts)
22.06.2002 - Frauenkappelen/Neuenegg, BE (Bank)
15.06.2002 - Erschwil, SO (Cart ruts)
22.07.2000, Laeufelfingen, BL (Rock opening, cart rut)
01.07.2000 - Grellingen, BL (Cart ruts)
24.06.2000 - Grandval, BE (Cart ruts, sunken road)
01.06.2000 - Tavannes, BE (Rock opening, cart rut)
27.05.2000 - Péry, BE (Cart ruts)
13.05.2000 - Rohr, AG (Roadways)
18.09.2000 - Upper Hauenstein, BL (Cart ruts, paving)
28.08.1999 - Effingen, AG (Sunken road, cart rut)
21.08.1999 - Ballaigues, VD (Cart ruts)