Drought Exposes Roman Bridge in Bulgaria

## Roman Bridge Exposed by Drought A heat wave in Europe has caused water levels in the Danube to fall drastically, exposing the foundations of a Roman bridge near the village of Gigen in Bulgaria. The bridge, built under the emperor Constantine I and inaugurated in A.D. 328, once stretched a little over a mile, making it one of the longest bridges in the Roman world. ## A Marvel of Roman Engineering The bridge, which briefly connected the city of Ulpia Oescus with the center of Sucidava in present-day Romania, is thought to have been destroyed around A.D. 367. A team led by Pavel Popov of the Pleven Regional Historical Museum used drones to map the foundations of the bridge, giving archaeologists an unprecedented view of one of the greatest feats of Roman engineering prowess. ## Uncovering the Past The exposure of the bridge's foundations has provided archaeologists with a unique opportunity to study the ancient structure in detail. The use of drones to map the foundations has allowed researchers to gain a better understanding of the bridge's construction and the engineering techniques used by the Romans. The Roman bridge in Bulgaria is just one example of the impressive infrastructure built under imperial Rome. To learn more about the Roman Empire's engineering achievements, readers can visit the article "Rome's Lost Aqueduct" on the Archaeology website.