Futile Route Quest of the Hannibal Invasion: Merging of Classical History and Surface Geology

Biostratigraphic artifact evidence sealing the Hannibal invasion route, combines classical historical and geological-biostratigraphical facts supporting the long-contested southern route over the highest pass–Col de la Traversette (~3000 m). The evidence for the southern route is patently expressed by Polybius in his Histories. Opposition to the northern route, originally championed by Sir Gavin de Beer some 70 years ago, earmarked the southern-Col de la Traversette-pathway as the only entrance to Italia, with a matching rockfall on the lee side. Thus de Beer’s southern route in the face of his new classical history is supported by inexorable geomorphic and biostratigraphic findings.