Home
Dolni Vadin, Gorni Vadin, Горни Вадин, the site of an ancient Roman bridge and Fortress
Dolni Vadin or Gorni Vadin, Горни Вадин, in Bulgaria, on the right bank of the Danube, is the site of an ancient Roman bridge and fortress, remains of which can still be seen today. 
This is the important final report on the Dolni Vadin site in Bulgaria.
Dolni Vadin, Bulgaria
Adrian continues to search in the area of Dolni Vadin, the ancient Roman bridge across the Danube.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 4th June 2012
New discoveries have been made in the area, including a huge area over 300 metres long on the true right bank of the Danube, near Dolni Vadin village, full of ancient Roman artefacts such as pottery, bricks, stones and walls.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 4th June 2012
It would seem that the entire hill is full of artefacts, providing compelling reasons for the area to be investigated by Bulgarian specialists, since it is not at this time well known to them.
Although the level of the waters of the Danube are still high, walls of the ancient Romans can be seen everywhere.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 4th June 2012
Grojdibodu, in Romania, on the opposite bank to Dolni Vadin, Bulgaria
The Alexis Project, with the help of Exp. Arch. Dr Dorel Bondoc from Oltenia Museum, made an important search in the area of Grojdibodu Romanian village, Olt County, at Km 648 on the left bank of the Danube.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th December 2011
Ancient maps showing the area searched, and including an old bridge.
The site in Romania is just opposite the site of the ancient Roman bridge and village on the right bank of the Danube, in Bulgaria.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th December 2011
The area searched was near 43.70562°N 24.31503°E alt=24m
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th December 2011
Even though a good search was made in this area, close to the river bank, no evidence of ancient Roman presence was found, so the connection of the Dolni Vadin ancient Roman Bridge to the opposite bank remains, for the moment, a mystery.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th December 2011
Further search in the general area proved successful!
Adrian and Dorel Bondoc continued searching, in the area between Grojdibodu village, in Olt County, and the left bank of the Danube, for the other head of the ancient Roman bridge from Dolni Vadin, Bulgaria.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th December 2011
They found a huge Bronze age site, just in the middle of the field, between the GPS points
43.74474°N 24.25241°E alt=24 m and 43.74476°N 24.25094°E alt=22 m with a lot of artefacts spread all over it.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th December 2011
It was very, very cold, with a cold rain falling, ice over the road, and a lot of mud in the whole area. This mud made it dangerous to cross the field in the car, between lakes and a lot of water courses, and the wind howled.
However the actual bridge head remains to be discovered. Adrian and Dorel plan to return soon to this productive area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th December 2011
Adrian and Dorel returned to the area a few days later, helped by the manager of Romania Digitala Project and Garmin Co. - Bogdan Conurateanu.
They continued their search for the other bridge head, on the Romanian side of the Danube, of the ancient Roman bridge at Dolni Vadin.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th December 2011
Even though it was the middle of winter, there were water birds on the Danube.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th December 2011
They searched an area about three kilometres long on the bank of the Danube. At one time in this area there was a huge lake, Poltelu, between the Danube and Grojdibodu village.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th December 2011
The pair searched on the left bank of the Danube River, just opposite the Bulgarian location of the ancient Roman bridge from Dolni Vadin, as well as the forests in the area, the former bed of the ancient Lake Potelu, and on the hills near Grojdibodu Village.
They also looked around the fields of Padina village, helped with GPS by phone by the Garmin Company, in the person of Mr Bogdan Condurateanu, manager of the Romania Digitalia project.
They searched everywhere, and found nothing.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th December 2011
There was no sign of the ancient Roman bridge on the Romanian side of the river. Perhaps it was destroyed by the movement of the bed of the Danube during those 2000 years, since the bridge was built.
There were no artefacts, (only a few stones and a few pottery pieces without archaeological importance), and even though they were searching a location which seemed to be a clay castrum (just in the midle of the ancient Potelu lake!!!), always there was nothing-nothing-nothing!!!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th December 2011
The mystery of the ancient Roman bridge from Dolni Vadin remains, but we must continue this search, not only here but on the Bulgarian side, to find out more about it, especially the period in which it was built, and by whom.
It was a very difficult day, very cold, clouds over the sky, long distances to walk and search, a huge area to be covered, and finally the pair had to come back.
This is the beautiful life in the wilderness for archaeology researchers, private projects with private money, sustained only by love for our ancestors, for the past of our country, its history and philosophy!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th December 2011
Adrian went to Dolni Vadin to make further investigations there, over a search area more than 3.5 Km long, and about 200 metres wide, on the right bank of the Danube. He was very successful in his endeavours.
Turnoff to Gorni Vadin village from the highway, in cold, fog, and icy weather in an uninhabited area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
In the village of Dolni Vadin or Gorni Vadin, we can see ancient roman bricks and quarried stone used as part of the stone walls and foundations of the houses, everywhere. In this case, the wall has been very well made.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
General view, looking towards the right bank of the Danube, of the ancient Roman site of Dolni Vadin, where the Roman bridge and fortress were erected.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
Another section of the Roman ruins, about 100 metres downstream from the main sites of Dolni Vadin, about one metre x one metre x one metre, near the right bank of the Danube, as shown on the map.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
Ancient Roman artefacts from the Roman bridge.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
Adrian, rugged up against the bitter cold, minus 4°C, but forever young and energetic!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
Huge stone blocks in the area of the quarry, used by the Romans in the building of the main site at Dolni Vadin, about 3.5 Kilometres downstream from the site of the bridge and fortress, on the right bank of the Danube, in the forest there.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
Ancient Roman artefacts found in the area of the stone quarry above.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
Huge stone, possibly man made (of concrete?) in the area of the quarry. Dimensions 1.5 x 0.5 x 0.1 metres.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
Huge stone blocks in the Danube River in the area of the quarry. There must have been a harbour here, used by the Romans to cross over the Danube, from Moesia in Dacia, using the island there, to the ancient Roman site in the area of Orlea, in Romanian territory.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2011
General view of the site, showing the huge stone in front of the Danube River, and a bluff behind.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd October 2011
Looking back from the river to the huge stone and the bluff.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd October 2011
This is the stone, which is apparently part of foundations, and is made up of smaller stones in a matrix of Roman mortar.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd October 2011
Here we can see a cast of a fossil shell in the limestone rock.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd October 2011
Other stones are hidden in vegetation.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd October 2011
Roman artefacts.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd October 2011
The bluff appears to contain Roman foundations as well.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd October 2011
Documentation
Photo: Google Earth
Dolni Vadin:
43.69136 °N 24.27435 °E Roman ruins in an extended area, about 300 metres long and over 50 metres wide
43.69556 °N 24.30914 ° Quarry, Roman harbour, about 300 metres long and about 50 metres wide
Photo: Google Earth
Home
Alexis Project Filiasi/Romania
RC J/263/230/2007 CIF 21464151
Email: [email protected]