This article discusses archaeological and historical data on sturgeon (Acipenseridae family) in the Danube River with special emphasis on the great sturgeon (Acipenser huso Linnaeus,1758 syn.Huso huso Brandt,1869).Having established the complementary nature of information offered by prehistoric and medieval fishbone finds and the written record,it emphasizes that a multidisciplinary interpretive framework is indispensable in addressing ecological and economic questions involving traditional sturgeon exploitation,extinction and possible reintroduction in the Danube.Prior to their extinction in the Danube,sturgeons were affected by the sum of anthropogenic activities along the rivers course,including increasing water transport,overfishing and the construction of dams.The detrimental effect of environmental damage can be seen in decreasing fish sizes and dwindling catch through time.