Constantine Bridge reappears at Danube River

[guy]

 

The Constantine Bridge over the Danube River has been rediscovered. (Above is an ancient coin presented by NGC Ancients, which may depict the bridge.)

Exceptionally low water levels in the Danube River exposed the bridge's submerged remains. This rare event allowed archaeologists to document features normally hidden beneath the river.

Record‑breaking heatwaves and severe drought across Europe caused the Danube to fall to unusually low levels. This exposed parts of the bridge’s stone foundations that are normally submerged. Archaeologists described the event as a rare natural “window” into a structure usually inaccessible.

 

The Constantine Bridge was commissioned by Emperor Constantine I and inaugurated in A.D. 328. It linked the Roman city of Ulpia Oescus (near modern Gigen, Bulgaria) with Sucidava (modern Corabia/Celei, Romania). At more than 2 km (1.2 miles), it was regarded as one of the longest bridges of antiquity, though short‑lived. Ancient sources suggest it was largely destroyed around A.D. 367.

The Constantine Bridge was first identified in the late 19th century, when scholars and engineers began documenting traces of its foundations. The earliest systematic survey was conducted in 1893, followed by another in 1933, both mapping visible remains near Gigen, Bulgaria, and Corabia, Romania. These early studies confirmed the existence of a massive Roman bridge spanning the Danube, though much of it remained submerged and inaccessible.

Later, during the 20th century, some archaeological work was carried out, but the bridge was often overlooked until recent interdisciplinary research from the early 2000s to the 2020s helped to clarify its size and structure. The latest discovery happened in 2026, when drought conditions revealed pier foundations, enabling the Pleven museum team to record them with aerial photography.

 

 

 

 

https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/7709/NGC-Ancients/

 

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Edited 2 hours ago by guy