The Via Axia between the Danube and the Aegean: infrastructural network and Territorial control in north Macedonia. A Preliminary study

Abstract

This study offers the first integrated reconstruction of the Via Axia, a Roman arterial route tra versing the Balkans from the Danube to the Aegean via the Vardar/Axius Valley. Integrating GIS-based, least-cost path analysis, epigraphic study of 16 milestones, and statistical evaluation of 106 fortification sites from our archaeological surveys, this paper reframes the Via Axia as a dynamic imperial infrastructural matrix rather than a static transit line. The research identifies a dual-branch system between Scupi and Veles, each branch linked to distinct chronological phases and shaped by geomorphology, hydrology, and visual command. A geospatial database supports visibility modelling, viewshed and intervisibility analyses, and cluster detection, factoring in slope, proximity to water, hydrological barriers, land cover, and archaeological density. These data clarify defensive nodes and optimal route corridors. The resulting visibility indices reveal a coordinated surveillance grid with high fortress intervisibility, enabling signal transmission across the corridor. Crucially, the paper documents a previously uncharted western route and revises the positions of Bylazora, Almana, Stenas, Idomene, and Doberus while confirming the position of Tauriana. Milestone clusters under Hadrian and Philip the Arab coincide with infrastructural refurbishments and epigraphic assertions of imperial presence. Such high intervisibility demonstrates a coordinated system of valley surveillance and control. The Via Axia thus emerges as a modular, resilient network for connectivity, security, and ideological projection.This synthesis enhances our understanding of Roman frontier logistics and lays the groundwork for predictive modelling of additional route segments and fortresses. A forthcoming monograph will expand the dataset, refine chronological frameworks and deepen comparative analyses with other Roman Balkan corridors.

KEYWORDS: Fortifications, GIS modelling, Infrastructural network, Landscape archaeology, Milestones (miliaria), North Macedonia, Roman Balkans, Roman roads, Territorial control, Via Axia.