Constantine's Danube Bridge Foundations Exposed by Drought

Exceptionally low water levels on the Danube, caused by a severe summer drought across Europe, have revealed sections of the ancient stone bridge commissioned by Emperor Constantine I in AD 328. The bridge, which once spanned more than two kilometres between the Roman city of Ulpia Oescus in present‑day northern Bulgaria and Sucidava in modern Romania, was largely destroyed around AD 367. Bulgarian archaeologists from the Regional Historical Museum in Pleven used drones to photograph and map the exposed foundations near the village of Gigen, providing a rare chance to study the structure in its natural environment. Museum representative Pavel Popov said the brief exposure “offers an exceptionally valuable opportunity for archaeologists to observe, document and study the monument where it normally remains hidden.” The drought, while disrupting shipping, agriculture and ecosystems along the Danube, also uncovered other submerged objects, including World War II German warships and mammoth remains, underscoring the breadth of material now visible in the riverbed.