Oldest Potholes Known to Man? (Roman asset management?)

This story from the southwest of England may not actually record the oldest potholes known to man, but it does remind us of how pervasive the Roman roadway network was, and how sophisticated it was in design.  Those of us who are infrastructure aficionados will have no difficulty appreciating the importance of that network in supporting a level of travel, economic wellbeing, and quality of life not seen again in Europe for 1500 years or so after the fall of the Roman Empire.  I suppose one could also draw conclusions about the failure of the Roman roads and their linkage to the fall of the empire, but for now let’s just be reminded of the remarkable story of Roman technology, new chapters of which continue to be revealed by archaeologists on a regular basis.