Roads, Rivers, Rails and Trails (and more): The Archaeology of Linear Historic Properties

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Roads, Rivers, Rails and Trails (and more): The Archaeology of Linear Historic Properties," at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Linear historic properties occupy a middle ground between archaeology, landscape and the built environment. They may represent transportation features such as roads, railroads, trails, or engineered waterways – or large infrastructure including ditches, fortifications or boundaries. Such categories can be subdivided further: for example, as portage or oxcart trails, stagecoach or military roads, aqueducts or drainage ditches, etc. As extant systems or abandoned segments, many linear properties have associated archaeological sites, features or artifacts. When known, these often contribute to the property’s historical significance. Or the linear feature itself may no longer be visible, but is archaeologically identifiable, or reflected in the configuration and functions of agricultural, military, commercial or residential areas. These papers present diverse and interdisciplinary contributions from archaeological research on linear historic properties, including details of their construction, use and change through time, associated sites and data, and effects on cultural landscapes and settlement patterns.