113 Eckhard Deschler-Erb, Philippe Della Casa (eds.). New Research on Ancient Bronzes. Acta of the XVIIIth International Congress on Ancient Bronzes. Zurich Studies in Archaeology, Vol. 10, 2015, 113–116. The emperor Trajan erected a bridge in the Iron Gate’s part of the Roman fortiied border of Upper Moesia, between his two campaigns against the Dacians, from A. D. 103 to A. D. 105. The bridge connected the castrum Pontes (nowa- days Kostol) on the right bank of the Danube with the cas- trum and town of Drobeta on the left bank. The bridge was 1100 m long, with monumental piers (Garašanin & Vasić 1980, 7–24; Garašanin & Vasić 1987, 71–116; Petrović & Va- sić 1996, 17–18), and was built by Apollodorus of Damascus. The piers near Pontes (ig. 1–3) were discovered only during very low water level of the Danube, in 1858 (Kanic 1987, 487; Mirković 2003, 110). In 1850, isherman pulled out an astonishing bronze male bronze portrait-head (ig. 4–9) from near one of the piers that is historically and physically connected to the bridge (Veličković 1983, 72–73, cat. 51; Popović I. 1987, 176, cat. 104). It was immediately sent to the National Museum (Kanic 1987, 487), where it is still kept (Reg. No 2873/III). To date, this male portrait was never convincingly identiied, but interpretations from earlier publications inclined either towards an identiication as Trajan’s biological father (Mar- cus Ulpius Traianus Pater), or to a representation of one of the high-ranking oicers from Trajan’s reign, Claudius Liv- ianus (Grbić 1958, 66–67; Mano-Zisi 1982, 116). New Attribution of a Roman Bronze Portrait from Pontes (Iron Gate Limes) Deana Ratković Deana Ratković, National Museum in Belgrade, Trg Republike 1a, Serbia, 11000-Beograd, d.ratkovic@narodnimuzej.rs The bronze male portrait was found in the 19 th  century in the river Danube, near a pillar of a bridge built by Emperor Trajan between A. D. 103 and A. D. 105. The bridge connected the Danube’s banks between Kostol (Pontes) and Turnu Severin (Drobeta). The portrait, dated by stylistic characteristics to the end of the 1 st and the beginning of the 2 nd  century A. D., is hollow-cast, with traces of gilding, and is 29 cm high. It was formerly identiied as Trajan’s biological father Marcus Ulpius Traianus Pater. However, it could be part of a life-size statue of Trajan himself that was positioned in the upper part of an arch at one end of the bridge. Key words: Trajan, portrait, bronze, bridge, Danube Limes Fig. 1. The remains of the pillar, Trajan’s bridge, Iron Gate, Kostol (Pontes). (Marko Ratkovic) Fig. 2. The remains of the Trajan’s bridge on the Danube, Iron Gate, Kostol (Pontes). (Marko Ratkovic) Fig. 3. The remains of the pillars of the bridge on the Danube, Iron Gate, Kostol (Pontes). (Marko Ratkovic)