Economic footprints: mapping coin circulation and economic networks in ancient Rome

Reconstructing patterns of economic exchange in ancient societies is vital to understanding state formation, monetary systems, and interregional connectivity. This study combines spatial interaction modeling, social accounting frameworks, and archeological infrastructure data with a large georeferenced dataset of Roman Republican coin hoards (155 BCE-2 CE) to analyze monetary circulation across the Roman world. We show that coin distributions followed institutional logics shaped by administrative centers, military zones, and trade hubs. Urban civic, economic, and religious infrastructures consistently predict local coin density, while spatial clustering aligns with Roman transport networks. Over time, distance decayed as a barrier to circulation, reflecting expanding infrastructure and fiscal integration. By integrating archeological evidence with spatial-economic modeling, we uncover the systemic drivers of monetary flows in antiquity. Our findings highlight how coin circulation mirrored governance, mobility, and regional interdependence, offering new insights into the economic geography of the Roman Republic and demonstrating the value of formal methods in ancient economic history.