Investigating historical traffic routes and cart-ruts in Switzerland, Elsass (France) and Aosta Valley (Italy)

Abstract

In a research project carried out within the context of making an inventory of historical traffic routes in Switzerland (IVS), ten cart-rut sites have been investigated in Switzerland, Elsass (France) and Aosta Valley (Italy). While cart-ruts at these sites are generally ascribed to the Roman period, the research has revealed that most of the available evidence points towards a more recent date. In two cases it was possible to determine the period of use, starting from the thirteenth and sixteenth century respectively and ending in the eighteenth century. Furthermore cart-ruts discovered in the region exhibit a whole range of gauges, challenging claims for a standard gauge. Considering the recent interest in the subject experienced in Central Europe and the Mediterranean, this work is intended to be a contribution to a hopefully intensified interdisciplinary and international research in the future.