8 Incredible Ancient Roads

The traces of ancient roads survive across the globe, revealing how connections were forged from region to region and country to country. Some routes persist only as memories; some have been preserved and celebrated for their historic significance, while others have been improved and absorbed into the modern road network. Yet each expands our knowledge of early societies and teaches us how people traveled, experienced cultural exchange, and formed trade networks. Below are eight incredible examples.

1. The Old North Trail // Canada, United States, Mexico
2. The Persian Royal Road // Iran, Iraq, Syria, Türkiye
3. The Grand Trunk Road // Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
4. Via Appia // Italy
5. The Ridgeway // England
6. The King’s Highway // Egypt, Jordan, Syria
7. Tea Horse Road // China
8. Qhapaq Ñan Andean Road System // Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina

The Old North Trail // Canada, United States, Mexico

The Old North Trail is an ancient footpath that ran 2000 to 3000 miles from Canada to Mexico, skirting the edge of the Rocky Mountains along the way. Oral histories from Indigenous peoples preserved the story of the trail, which first guided people on foot, and, later, with dogs pulling a kind of sled known as a travois. The trail is thought to be at least 10,000 years old, demonstrating how Native peoples crossed North America to trade goods and exploit new hunting grounds. The best preserved section of the trail can be found in Choteau, Montana, where the Old Trail Museum allows visitors a chance to walk a section of this ancient track. Stone cairns still mark the route in places. The path is also intersected with occasional buffalo jumps once used by Blackfeet hunters, revealing one of the ways travelers restocked their provisions.

The Persian Royal Road // Iran, Iraq, Syria, Türkiye

Darius the Great ordered the Persian Royal Road’s construction in the 5th century BCE to ease communication in the western part of the Persian Empire. The road ran from the city of Susa (in modern-day Iran) to the Aegean port of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Türkiye), stretching 1500 miles in length. Information traveled along the road via a team of messengers who worked in relay, day and night, taking between seven and nine days to carry a message along the entire route. In the 4th century BCE, Alexander the Great and his army famously availed themselves of the Royal Road during their conquest of the Persian Empire.

The Grand Trunk Road // Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan

The Grand Trunk Road is an ancient 1500 mile-long route that passes through India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It includes the Khyber Pass, a mountain pass connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan that, at its highest point, is 3510 feet above sea level. The road was built in the 4th century BCE, and though it was meant to transport goods, it also allowed the spread of ideas—Buddhism traveled west along the road in the 3rd century BCE, while Islam flowed east along the same route centuries later. The Grand Trunk Road was another route exploited by Alexander the Great during his foray into India. In the 16th century, Mughal emperors extended and paved much of the route, a job that was continued and completed by British colonizers in the 17th century. 

Via Appia // Italy

The Via Appia (a.k.a. the Appian Way) is probably the most famous Roman road of all, built around 312 BCE to connect Rome and Campania in southern Italy. It was extended in 244 BCE to reach Brindisi in southeastern Italy (on the heel of the boot). Originally planned as a strategic road for military conquest, it soon became a vital trading route. The road demonstrates the incredible skill of Roman engineers who paved it with stone formed from lava, making it extremely hard-wearing. The builders also made it easy for travelers to use, with mile markers indicating distance traveled, drinking fountains for people and animals along the way, and numerous rest stations. These amenities encouraged travel along the route and ensured the cities connected by the road thrived.

The Ridgeway // England

The Ridgeway in England, often called England’s oldest road, is a 5000-year-old track running 85 miles from Avebury in Wiltshire to near Tring in Buckinghamshire. Ridgeways are so called because they follow the high ridges of hills, providing hard ground on the lofty tracks. During its long life, the Ridgeway has had many uses: In the Iron Age, people patrolled the route as a lookout for approaching travelers; invading armies used it during Saxon times, and by the medieval period, farmers herded their livestock along the path. The ancient road is lined by many Neolithic henges and barrows, and passes by two of the most fascinating ancient monuments in England—the stone circle at Avebury and the White Horse carved into a hill in Uffington. The Ridgeway has been designated as one of England’s National Trails where hikers can follow in prehistoric footsteps.

The King’s Highway // Egypt, Jordan, Syria

The King’s Highway (Darb ar-Raseef in Arabic, meaning “paved road”) is thought to be one of the oldest continuously used roads in the world. It connects the Arabian peninsula with Egypt and runs through modern-day Jordan and Syria, and has likely been in use since the 8th century BCE. An important trade route along which spices and incense were bought and sold, it was later paved by Roman Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century CE so that wheeled carts full of goods and people could pass more easily. The road is mentioned in the Old Testament and was a crucial route for for pilgrims: Christians traveled the road to reach the Holy Land, and Muslims passed the road on their way to Mecca.

Tea Horse Road // China

Linking southern China and Tibet, the Tea Horse Road was created in the 7th century CE for the exchange of, you guessed it, tea and horses—both increasingly important resources at the time [PDF]. Tea became a popular drink in Tibet because it was believed to have nutritional properties that improved Tibetans’ dairy-rich diet. A trade route developed to connect the tea-growing districts of Yunnan to cities in Tibet along a 1800-mile track. The months-long journey allowed plenty of time for the tea leaves to ferment and age. Flowing the other way along the road were Tibetan horses, a hardy breed highly desired for China’s cavalry. Traveling the route, which incorporated rocky tracks, high mountain passes, and perilous bridges over raging rivers, took four to six months. The difficulty of the journey underscored the high value placed on the trade of tea and horses.

Qhapaq Ñan Andean Road System // Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina

Qhapaq Ñan, also known as the Inca Road System, was based on two north-south roads that stretched down the west coast of South America and were interconnected by numerous linking roads that snaked through the Andes, creating an impressive 25,000-mile network. The roads were built in the 15th century, although many were based on existing ancient tracks, and were vital for maintaining control, facilitating trade, and allowing the administration of the vast Incan empire. The Inca did not use wheeled transport, so travel was by foot or with the assistance of pack animals like llamas. Qhapaq Ñan is a UNESCO World Heritage site and sections of this ancient track remain in use, including the famous Inca Trail leading to Machu Picchu.

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