From the Itinerarium Antonini and al-Idrisi to the movecost plugin: road network analysis in the Castronovo di Sicilia area

Gabriele Ciccone

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 183-192; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.20

Abstract

The area of Castronovo di Sicilia was analysed by integrating different methodologies. In terms of the road network, it was decided to compare information from traditional written sources, such as the Itinerarium Antonini and texts from the Arab geographer al-Idrisi, with the results of the Least-Cost Path Analysis (LCPA) conducted using the QGIS plugin ‘movecost’. The primary objective of this analysis was to evaluate how the centrality of the Castronovo area was determined by environmental factors that made it easily accessible along the main long-distance routes connecting the island. At the same time, the analysis aimed to highlight similarities and differences between the written sources and the LCPA results.

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