Arkadiko Bridge
The Arkadiko Bridge or Kazarma Bridge is a Mycenaean bridge near the modern road from Tiryns to Epidauros in Argolis on the Peloponnese, Greece. The stone crossing, which is dated to the Greek Bronze Age, is one of the oldest arch bridges still in existence which is still crossable today. It is the oldest preserved bridge in Europe.
Arkadiko Bridge (Kazarma Bridge) Arkadiko | |
|---|---|
Arkadiko or Kazarma Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 37°35′37″N 22°56′15″E |
| Carries | Mycenaean road Tiryns–Epidauros |
| Locale | Arkadiko, Argolis, Greece |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Corbel arch bridge |
| Material | Cyclopean stone |
| Total length | 22 m |
| Width | 2.50 m |
| Height | 4 m |
| Longest span | Ca. 1 m |
| No. of spans | 1 |
| History | |
| Opened | Ca. 1300-1190 BC (LHIII) |
| Location | |
The corbel arch bridge was constructed during the Mycenaean Period in a typical Cyclopean style contemporary to the Late Helladic period (III) (ca. 1300–1190 BC). The bridge, which is 22 m (72 ft) long, 5.60 m (18.4 ft) wide at the base and 4 m (13 ft) high, spans a 1 m (3 ft 3 in) culvert. The width of the roadway is about 2.50 metres (8 ft 2 in).
Arkadiko Bridge was part of a military highway between the two cities of Tiryns to Epidauros which formed part of a wider Hellenic road network. The sophisticated layout of the bridge and the alignment of the road indicate that the bridge could be used by chariots. Three thousand years later, the bridge remains in local use.