THE BERYTUS-HELIOPOLIS BAALBAK ROAD IN THE ROMAN PERIOD: A LEAST COST PATH ANALYSIS
Keywords:
Least cost path, Spatial analysis, Roman roads, Roman coloniesAbstract
The Mount Lebanon range has permanently formed a main barrier to communication between the coast and
the Bekaa valley. During the Roman period, official authorities were confronted to a significant challenge in
establishing an efficient route joining the colony of Berytus to its territorial possessions in the northern Bekaa
which included the town of Heliopolis Baalbak. This case study aims to find the least cost path for the road
between both cities based on slope dependent functions using GIS technologies. Three generated models are
cross-referenced to historical and archaeological data for validation purposes. The validated path indicates
that the planning of the Berytus-Baalbak Heliopolis road seems to have been primarily based on minimizing
energy cost by reducing the crossing distance over steep slopes.
