Properties
ID | 124404 |
---|---|
System Class | Place |
Place | Least Cost Path Calculation |
Case Study | Byzantino-Serbian Border Zones in Transition (1282–1355) , Historical Region of Macedonia TIB 16 |
Administrative unit | Southwestern Region / Југозападен регион , Region of Pelagonia / Пелагониски регион , North Macedonia |
Description
Although a vast variety of secondary literature has been published on the Via Egnatia, some parts of its route still remain obscure, for instance the section between Ohrid, Resen and Bitola. The archaeologist Viktor Lilčikj Adams has argued for a multi-layered approach to this question. Least cost path (LCP) calculations were applied by Markus Breier to replicate/predict the route between Ohrid, Resen, Bitola and Prilep, and, thus, to complement the existing written sources, archaeological evidence and maps. Based on the aforesaid multi-layered approach a LCP model was put into existence, which was published in 2017. LCP are viable models that can help to understand historical transportation networks. Thus, they have the capacity to complement the thorough analysis of the surviving written sources, the archaeological evidence in situ and published as well as unpublished maps. The model of the section between Bitola and Prilep is viable and can be regarded as a good approximation. However, it has to be noted, that the result is an idealised representation, not necessarily the real course of the road. Various uncertainties (e.g. present day data, uncertain locations of historical landmarks) also have to be considered, when the results are interpreted. Nonetheless, computer generated models like LCP can lead to new insights regarding historical landscapes. The integration of social, political and economic factors as well as agent-based methods like view-shed might further enhance the viability of these models. These factors, however, are difficult to formalise, so that they can be used within a GIS.