And although they were of course for general use, they were almost a state possession, garrisoned by troops and, like the sea lanes, occasionally swept clean of brigands. Indeed, Europe did not get new roads that were really the equal of Roman ones until the 19th century. Survival of roads What is more, throughout Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia, many of the roads still in use are indeed old roads, surveyed, designed, drained and built by the Romans, and little changed except for an asphalt surface. In other words, geography often dictates the path they take, and so the most important ones are usually asphalted and still in use. Indeed, it is little exaggeration to say that even today one could navigate easily through much of Turkey or Italy and all of Tunisia equipped only with a map of the Roman road system.
Most road networks have all such varieties of survival.
The visitor with a day or two to spare can trace some old roads on foot. Exploring most ancient sites will also reveal the starting points for ancient roads no longer in use. At Elaiussa-Sebaste, for example, the modern motor road cuts right through the site at sea level, and might mark an antique road as well. Because of the modern settlement, tracing other antique roads here is difficult - but finding those at the necropolis is easy. Indeed, the whole area between the coast and Diocaesarea is criss-crossed by ancient roads, some of them paved, and many of them still in use.