page_title: Historic roads and trails
hierarchical_section_title: Historic roads and trails
caption_attribution_description: English: Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent according to Oxford Atlas of World History 2002. Sources: Visible online: 2002 Oxford Atlas of World History p.42 (West portion of the Achaemenid Empire) and p.43 (East portion of the Achaemenid Empire).(in English) (2002) Atlas of World History, Oxford University Press, pp.&#160;42-43 ISBN&#58; 9780195219210.&#32; Visible online: Philip's Atlas of World History (1999) The Times Atlas of World History, p.79 (1989)(in English) (1989) The Times Atlas of World History, Times Books, p.&#160;79 ISBN&#58; 9780723003041.&#32;
context_page_description: Historic roads are paths or routes that "have great historical importance or fame". Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways, tracks, and roads that existed in "the period of history before the fall of the Western Roman Empire" in 476 AD. "The first roads were paths made by animals and later adapted by humans." Many historic routes, such as the Silk Road, the Amber Road, and the Royal Road of the Persian Empire, existed before the Christian era and covered great distances.
  The Post Track, a prehistoric causeway in the valley of the River Brue in the Somerset Levels, England, is one of the oldest known constructed trackways and dates from around 3838 BCE. The world's oldest known paved road was constructed in Egypt some time between 2600 and 2200 BC.
  The Romans were the most significant road builders of the ancient world. At the peak of the Roman Empire there were more than 400,000 kilometres of roads, of which over 80,000 kilometres were stone-paved. Another empire, that of the Incas of pre-Columbian South America, also built an extensive and advanced transportation system.
context_section_description: Historic roads (historic trails in USA and Canada) are paths or routes that "have great historical importance or fame". Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways, tracks, and roads that existed in "the period of history before the fall of the Western Roman Empire" in 476 AD. "The first roads were paths made by animals and later adapted by humans." Many historic routes, such as the Silk Road, the Amber Road, and the Royal Road of the Persian Empire, existed before the Christian era and covered great distances.
  The Post Track, a prehistoric causeway in the valley of the River Brue in the Somerset Levels, England, is one of the oldest known constructed trackways and dates from around 3838 BCE. The world's oldest known paved road was constructed in Egypt some time between 2600 and 2200 BC.
  The Romans were the most significant road builders of the ancient world. At the peak of the Roman Empire there were more than 400,000 kilometres (250,000 miles) of roads, of which over 80,000 kilometres (50,000 mi) were stone-paved. Another empire, that of the Incas of pre-Columbian South America, also built an extensive and advanced transportation system.
  Much later historic roads include the Red River Trails between Canada and the US, from the 19th century. However, such pioneer trails in these countries often made use of ancient routes created by indigenous people.
caption: The map of Achaemenid Empire and the section of the Royal Road, of the Persian Empire, noted by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484 BC – c. 425 BC).
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