Baština (Jan 2016)
The continuity of antique communications in the soil of roman province Gornja Mezija
Abstract
The territory of Serbia which had belonged to the Roman province Gornja Mezija occupied the central part of Balkan Peninsula, the realm which represented transit area, and the territory which was inhabited since the earliest days. In Roman époque, and today as well it is the crossroads of numerous directions of communications which were connecting there the capital of the Empire with rich, advanced, and strategically important territories within the Empire. All-important Transbalcanique routes were being crossed in Naissus (Nis). Itineraries are giving the most data on them, but they can be taken with a grain of salt, and combine them as much as possible with the results of archaeological researches in order to reconstruct the image of settlements on antique communications more clearly. Besides the data on itineraries, and sometimes the preserved miljokaz, the remained data on antique communications are rare, and the majority of communication traces were during the time being turned into the bushes and weed or modern roads were built over them so that on their directions might be judged based on the position, and schedule of settlements, and natural features of the field. Antique communications directions were being used through the Middle Age until modern time for people and goods transport. Nevertheless, massive motorization in today's time had made them mostly abandoned as the main communications although they remained in use as regional, and municipal roads.
