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Modern Road Archaeology: Identification and Classification Proposal

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Abstract

Roads built throughout Europe from the eighteenth century onwards and adapted to motor vehicles serve as an important testimony of the history of engineering. However, very few attempts have been made to identify in a systematic manner the archaeological heritage associated with these infrastructures. This article aims to establish a series of chronological milestones marking the turning points in the design of these infrastructures and to define a typological classification of the elements forming part of road heritage. Finally, on applying the established conceptual framework to the Spanish case, a more specific definition of the main archaeological traces that may still be found today is provided.

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Acknowledgments

I offer my sincerest gratitude to my supervisors, Dr José María Coronado and Dr Francisco Javier Rodríguez, who have supported me throughout my PhD thesis and this research. I also wish to acknowledge the financial support for fieldwork that our research group received from the CEDEX-CEHOPU (Spain) and that facilitated the investigation. Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs included in this article were taken by José María Coronado, Francisco Javier Rodríguez or Rita Ruiz (Civil Engineering Department, University of Castilla-La Mancha).

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  1. University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda/Camilo José Cela, S/N., 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Rita Ruiz

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  1. Rita Ruiz
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Correspondence to Rita Ruiz.

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Ruiz, R. Modern Road Archaeology: Identification and Classification Proposal. Int J Histor Archaeol 20, 437–462 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-016-0340-y

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