A structure long submerged beneath the Danube has had parts of its foundations exposed by exceptionally low water levels near the Bulgarian village of Gigen.
The partial discovery of the ancient Constantine Bridge comes after a succession of heatwaves and prolonged drought across Europe this summer, which has significantly reduced water levels on major rivers, including the Danube and the Rhine.
Pavel Popov of the Regional Historical Museum in Pleven told Reuters
For archaeologists, these moments are extremely valuable because nature briefly reveals an object that is hidden beneath the Danube for most of the time.
It gives us a rare opportunity to observe, document and study it in its real environment.
The bridge was commissioned by Emperor Constantine I and inaugurated in A.D. 328, linking the Roman city of Ulpia Oescus—located in present-day northern Bulgaria—with Sucidava, in what is now Romania.
Stretching for more than two kilometres (1.2 miles), it is regarded as one of the longest bridges constructed during antiquity. Historians believe it was largely destroyed around A.D. 367, only a few decades after its completion.
Last week, specialists from the Pleven Regional Historical Museum carried out an aerial survey of the site. Using drones, the team photographed and mapped the visible remains, documenting the exposed foundations and assessing their current condition.
While drought has disrupted shipping and agriculture across much of Europe this summer, archaeologists say periods of exceptionally low river levels can occasionally provide unique opportunities to study historical sites that are normally inaccessible.
#/media/File:Constantine's_Bridge.png){kind=link}