Drought-hit Danube gives way to mammoth fossil hunt in Bulgaria
As drought in Europe brings river levels to record lows, a group of volunteers scans the dried-up Danube riverbank in northern Bulgaria, not far from where the receding waters revealed mammoth bones in July. About 20 volunteers join an effort in the hope of discovering new fossils or artifacts in a search organised by the Regional Museum of History of Ruse.
Volunteers in northern Bulgaria, near the exposed Danube bank where mammoth bones were found last month, were searching for more fossilized remains due to Europe's severe drought. Amateur photographer Aleksandar Denkov exclaimed, "I've found a tooth!" after uncovering a yellowish fragment in the sand. The regional history museum of Ruse, around 250 km northeast of Sofia, organized the search involving around 20 volunteers.
They found remains of a mammal, possibly an aurochs or European bison, a horse jawbone in a subfossil state, and fossilized oysters aged around 60 to 65 million years.
Europe's drought, worsened by human-induced climate change, has reduced major rivers to a trickle, impacting cargo ships and nuclear plants. However, low water levels have revealed historical artifacts and remains not seen for centuries along the Danube, Europe's second-longest river. The museum organized the event to teach people how to recognize different finds, show potential discoveries, and provide safety tips.
After initial success in finding a mammoth jawbone and other fossils near Ryahovo, volunteers became enthusiastic, though discipline was lost. Ekaterina Yordanova, a 34-year-old psychologist, appreciated the rare opportunity to connect with history, while Vladimir Tsvyatkov, 44, and his family mainly came for the adventure. Further upstream, archaeologists documented a 2 km-long bridge's foundations, inaugurated in 328 under Emperor Constantine I. Additionally, World War II weaponry and remnants have been uncovered in various locations along the Danube, including Austria and Serbia.
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