A familiar European river has briefly surrendered a secret buried for centuries, and archaeologists are racing to document what the drought has exposed.
In Bulgaria, the exceptionally low water level of the Danube has revealed parts of the foundations of Constantine’s Bridge, which researchers consider one of the most impressive engineering achievements of the Roman Empire.
The drop in water levels has confirmed the decline and allowed scientists to examine the remains of the structure near the country’s northern regions.
Drought Reveals Ancient Sites
Extreme heat in Europe this summer has caused widespread drought across several regions of the continent, affecting major rivers, including the Danube and the Rhine.
For archaeologists, moments like these are extremely valuable because nature briefly reveals a site that remains hidden beneath the waters of the Danube most of the time. This gives us a rare opportunity to observe, document, and study it in its natural environment.
– Pavlo Popov
Constantine’s Bridge, built on the orders of Emperor Constantine I and opened in 328, connected the ancient city of Ulpia Oescus with Sucidava, in what is now Romania.
The structure was more than 2 kilometers long and is considered one of the longest bridges of antiquity, despite its relatively short existence – the bridge is believed to have been largely destroyed around AD 367.
Last week, a team from the museum in Pleven conducted aerial surveys and recorded visible remains of the bridge near the village of Gigen in northern Bulgaria. The scientists used drones to map the exposed elements, trace the foundation lines, and assess their condition.
The water level in the Danube has fallen so low that the hulls of dozens of German warships from World War II have come into view.
Such discoveries highlight the importance of water levels in preserving and studying ancient architectural monuments, and specialists plan to continue monitoring the site.