Danube River drought reveals prehistoric fossils in Bulgaria

Receding water levels in the Danube River due to drought in Bulgaria have allowed volunteers and historians to search for prehistoric remains and historical artifacts. Organized by the Ruse Regional History Museum, a group of approximately 20 volunteers recently explored the dry riverbed near the village of Ryahovo.

Following the discovery of mammoth bones in late July, the expedition uncovered several significant items, including a horse jawbone in a subfossil state, remains likely belonging to an aurochs or European bison, and fossilized oysters dating back 60 to 65 million years from the Lower Cretaceous period.

Krasimir Kirov, curator of the Ruse Regional History Museum, noted that the low water levels are driven by both climate change and human modifications to the river basin. While the drought poses challenges for industrial plants and shipping, it has also exposed historical relics along the river, including World War II shipwrecks in other regions.