A new series of seminars entitled Viachronie will be held online between March and June 2026 on the theme of ancient roads.

The aim of this event is to bring together and share knowledge on this topic. We are a collective of researchers, engineers, doctoral students, and experts who recently met to observe that numerous ongoing and past studies address this subject. The objective of this research has mostly been to reconstruct the routes of ancient roads that have now disappeared or been forgotten. The analysis of historical routes and paths is characterized by a variety of disciplines (archaeology, history, geography, archaeogeography, mathematics, geomatics, remote sensing, etc.), sources (written, planimetric, material, etc.), approaches, methods, and tools (GIS, LiDAR, modeling, etc.).

The chosen theme is "ancient roads," in a deliberately broad sense. This choice reflects the desire for this seminar to provide an inventory of research in this field (both quantitatively and qualitatively), while also maximizing transdisciplinary exchange. Presentations may address this topic through case studies, presentations of ongoing research, or theoretical reflections. All historical periods and all territories (regions, countries) can be explored to foster a multifaceted and multiscalar understanding of the road phenomenon.

It therefore seems essential to pool knowledge and experience to establish an initial overview and advance research in this area.

Four sessions will be held this year, comprising twelve 20-minute presentations to allow ample time for discussion and exchange.

Keywords:

• Réseaux routiers antiques et médiévaux
• Circulation des biens, des personnes et des idées
• Sources textuelles et iconographiques
• Cartographie historique & SIG
• Méthodes numériques et modélisation
• Paysages, territoires, frontières
• ...