Ambulo-archaeology

It seems to me this is not a recognised thing: the walking of ancient routes either pathways or the reenactment of ancient journeys.

In the UK the classic is the Pilgrim's Way the ancient pilgrimage route from London to the seat of Christianity in the Anglican church in Canterbury. Most of this pathway still exists now metalled and keeps the name.

Another is the Ridgeway which joins very ancient high level routes through the North Downs. On this walk you are reminded of the ancient landscape you are walking through, particularly in the Western sections through a series of ancient burial sites and earth works.

A particularly important route is the one taken by Kind Harold in 1066 from Northumberland where he defeated the Viking to then confront the invading Normans. To think his soldiers fought a decisive battle and then marched non-stop the 360 miles to Hastings to then pitch into another battle is extraordinary and they essentially won that battle until a Norman feign and ill discipline broke the Saxon shield wall. I believe the last sections of that march were on what is now the A21. This mundane suburban road takes on new meaning when you consider it was the trunk road that enabled such an significant defence of the kingdom, even of it was ultimately doomed.  

A particular route I am interested is the march East of Alexander the Great's army from Macedonia through modern Iran and into Pakistan and the Indus Valley. He took his men beyond the edge of the known world into fantastical lands and while he was guided by the belief he was following Dionysus my feeling is his men took each step towards the end with trepidation very unsure of where they were or where they were going. An extraordinary journey that unfortunately ended in tragedy as he lost a significant portion of the army (30%) to the Gedrosian Desert (now Baluchistan). Repeating this vast journey on foot would be quite a technical undertaking even in modern times and a fascinating insight into the abilities, minds and physical expectations of the time.

Repeating such journeys does not just link the rambler to the land through which they walk, but being mindful of the route through history and particular historic journeys places them also in the landscape of time and provides a physical and visceral way of experiencing history. Overlaying cerebral memories of cold hard facts and legends with lived muscle memory is a very much overlooked approach to the Past.