The evolution of the historical transport networks of the Iberian Peninsula
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 19/11/2020

The configuration of a territory is a long-term evolution in which many factors influenced its shape  and  morphology.  One  of  the  most  visible  elements  that  help  historians  to  analyse  its  configuration is the location of the urban settlements and all the transport infrastructures (by land, river and sea) that connected them. In this paper, the Iberian Peninsula transport net-works have been analysed in four different timeframes (Roman Times, Medieval Era, Modern Era and the XIXth Century). By comparing the historical transport networks, it is possible to discover the continuities and differences between each period. Those changes let us relate each network with the political and economic situation of the Iberian Peninsula. This information is extremely useful to define the role of the political decisions in the design and organization of this territory and their impact in its economic situation. Methodologically, Networks Sci-ence analyses are applied to the historical intermodal transport systems. The results of these mathematical processes let us visualize and understand the morphological configuration of the transport  networks  and  determine  distribution  and  mobility  patterns  and  their  connectivity  degree, and the changes and continuities between periods. In this paper, the methodology of the project will also be presented, from the creation of a transport model of time and cost expenses using historical information to the application of weighted SNA to analyse the connectivity of each historical networks.


Pau de Soto