30 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Severe drought in Italy unearths remains of an ancient bridge in Rome

Continued severe heat in Italy has uncovered an archaeological treasure in Rome: a bridge reportedly built by the Roman emperor Nero and normally sinks in the waters of the Tiber River.

The fall in the water level of the Tiber, which according to Reuters flows at a long-term low, exposed the stone remains of the Neronian Bridge (lat. Bridge of Nero), WION news reports a news agency headquartered in New Delhi, India.

Ruins from the old Pons Neronianus or Bridge of Nero, which is usually concealed by the river, may now be seen beneath the Vittorio Emmanuele II bridge in the center of Rome, near Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican.

Emperor Nero, in full Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, also called (50–54 CE) Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus.  Fifth Roman emperor (54–68 CE), stepson and heir of the emperor Claudius. He is best known for his debaucheries, political murders, persecution of Christians, and a passion for music that led to the probably apocryphal rumor that Nero “fiddled” while Rome burned during the great fire of 64 A.D.

Despite the name of the bridge, it is unclear whether it was actually built by Emperor Nero because experts think it is older.

Water levels of Rome's historic river the Tiber have fallen so low that it is now possible to see the remains of an ancient Roman bridge built by the Roman Emperor Nero.
Water levels of Rome’s historic river the Tiber have fallen so low that it is now possible to see the remains of an ancient Roman bridge built by the Roman Emperor Nero.

The capital of Italy has been experiencing highs of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The water level of the Tiber River has plummeted by a meter since this time last year. Recently, Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, emphasized that, while there are no plans for water rationing at this time, city residents must avoid wasting water.

“The remains of this Roman bridge are visible whenever the water level of the Tiber falls, so whenever there are long periods – like now – with very low rainfall,” Robert Coates-Stevens, an archaeologist at the British School in Rome, told Live Science in an email.

Multiple sources told Live Science that the bridge may have been built before Nero’s reign. “The provenance of the bridge is uncertain, given that it probably existed before the reign of Nero, so the Pons Neronianus was probably a reconstruction of an earlier crossing,” Nicholas Temple, professor of architectural history at London Metropolitan University, told Live. Science in an email.

Cover Photo: Water levels of Rome’s historic river the Tiber have fallen so low that it is now possible to see the remains of an ancient Roman bridge built by the Roman Emperor Nero. Photo: Twitter

Related Articles

New discoveries found under demolished historic Tawfiq Pasha Andraos Palace in Egypt

31 October 2021

31 October 2021

An Egyptian archaeological mission excavating at the site of the recently demolished Tawfiq Pasha Andraos Palace discovered a number of...

Turkey’s second ancient lighthouse found in the Bathonea

28 July 2023

28 July 2023

The excavations in the ancient Greek city of Bathonea, located in the Küçükçekmece Lake basin in the Avcılar district of...

A 4000-Year-Old Seal Found in the prehistoric coastal site of Kalba on the Gulf of Oman

5 April 2024

5 April 2024

Archaeologists discovered a Gulf-type seal made of soft stone dating to the end of the third millennium BC at Kalba,...

Ancient Hippodrome, Subject of Ben-Hur Movie, Will Become “Arkeo Sports Park”

8 August 2021

8 August 2021

Ben-Hur, a wealthy prince living in Jerusalem, is a historical figure who struggled for the freedom of the Jews during...

Ancient Footprints Offer Evidence Humans Wore Shoes 148,000 Years Ago

12 September 2023

12 September 2023

A new analysis of ancient footprints in South Africa suggests that the humans who made these tracks might have been...

Feline and anthropomorphic 29 new geoglyphs discovered in Peru

21 December 2023

21 December 2023

In Ica, a region south of Lima on the coast of Peru, 29 geoglyphs were found by an archaeologist from...

Yale Archaeologist discovered an “arcade” of rock-cut ancient mancala game boards in Kenya

2 February 2024

2 February 2024

Veronica Waweru, a Yale University archaeologist conducting fieldwork in Kenya, discovered an “arcade” of ancient Mancala game boards carved into...

A new study provides the earliest evidence of rice harvesting, dating to as early as 10,000 years ago

8 December 2022

8 December 2022

A new study of stone tools from southern China reveals the earliest evidence of rice harvesting, dating back 10,000 years....

Rare Astrolabe Discovered in Verona Sheds Light On Islamic, Jewish, and Christian Scientific Exchange

6 March 2024

6 March 2024

An eleventh-century rare astrolabe bearing Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions was recently discovered in a museum in Verona, Italy. It dates...

From Bronze Age to Buddhism: Xinjiang’s Archaeological Journey Through Time and Recent Discoveries

4 March 2025

4 March 2025

Recent archaeological investigations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have significantly enhanced our understanding of the area’s historical context and...

Who will solve the puzzle of Bronze Age tin? Origin of tin ingots from Uluburun shipwreck disputed – the metal may have come from Cornwall

3 October 2023

3 October 2023

The exact origin of tin in the Bronze Age is the Holy Grail of archaeometallurgists: For 150 years, experts have...

Vikings arrived in Newfoundland 1,000 years ago: Scientists

20 October 2021

20 October 2021

Vikings’ first permanent settlement in North America – the coastal outpost in Newfoundland known as L’Anse aux Meadows now has...

Over 20 terracotta warriors have been discovered in the Terracotta Army pit in China

24 January 2022

24 January 2022

More than 20 Terracotta Warriors were unearthed from the Terracotta Army pit in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi province, according to...

In Germany, a well-preserved octagonal tower unearthed, which may have been inspired by towers on the city walls of Constantinople

5 September 2023

5 September 2023

During excavations at Neuenburg Castle near the town of Freyburg (Burgenlandkreis) in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the extraordinarily well-preserved,...

Farmer was Discovers 2600-year-old Stone Slab of Pharaoh Apries

19 June 2021

19 June 2021

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced that a farmer in Ismailia, Egypt, uncovered a 2,600-year-old stone monument erected by Pharaoh...