THE BERYTUS-HELIOPOLIS BAALBAK ROAD IN THE ROMAN PERIOD: A LEAST COST PATH ANALYSIS

Abstract

The Mount Lebanon range has permanently formed a main barrier to communication between the coast and

the Bekaa valley. During the Roman period, official authorities were confronted to a significant challenge in

establishing an efficient route joining the colony of Berytus to its territorial possessions in the northern Bekaa

which included the town of Heliopolis Baalbak. This case study aims to find the least cost path for the road

between both cities based on slope dependent functions using GIS technologies. Three generated models are

cross-referenced to historical and archaeological data for validation purposes. The validated path indicates

that the planning of the Berytus-Baalbak Heliopolis road seems to have been primarily based on minimizing

energy cost by reducing the crossing distance over steep slopes.