Thermalism and Road System in the African Roman Provinces. A Focus on Roman Algeria

The phenomenon of thermalism is highly evident in Roman North Africa, as attested by literary sources, Roman itineraries, and archaeological findings. This paper aims at analysing the historical and geographical context of the present day Algerian territory, which comprises the Roman provinces of Mauretania Caesariensis, Numidia, and Africa Proconsularis. That entire territory is portrayed as a vast and elongated region in the initial segments (I-IV) of the Tabula Peutingeriana, featuring the registration of four thermal sites, three of which bear the customary 'ad aquas' vignettes. However, the documented thermal centres within that territory are considerably more numerous. Therefore, it is intriguing to scrutinize the relationship between archaeological-topographic data and the geomorphological contexts. This analysis aims at gaining a deeper understanding of the distribution patterns of thermal sites, their associations with primary and secondary road networks, the nature of users, and the socio-cultural and religious implications that characterise them.