The receding waters of parched rivers and lakes across Europe have brought to surface several reminders of a drought’s grim consequences.
Europe is currently fighting what can be called the worst drought in 500 years. Legendary rivers around the continent have reduced to shallow streams. Some of the region’s biggest rivers — Rhine, Po, Loire, Danube — which are usually formidable waterways, are quickly drying up, exposing parched riverbeds and devastating crops, power plants, barge traffic, and fish populations.
Their receding waters have even brought to surface some ghost villages, war-time shipwrecks, and ancient relics. Over a dozen ‘hunger stones’ have also been revealed in central European rivers. In 2013, Czech researchers had described these stones as warning signs from previous droughts for the future generations, explaining the bad harvest, lack of food, high prices, and hunger that they brought along.
It is believed that if the stones show up above water levels, it means the times of hardship for the current generation and the locals in the area have arrived. Most of these hunger stones have resurfaced on the banks of the Elbe river, which flows from the Czech Republic through Germany. One of them was carved in the 15th century and had earlier surfaced back in 1616, when locals had inscribed on it, “if you see me, cry”!
Other than hunger stones, ancient ruins and ghost villages have also appeared. In Galicia, the lost village of Aceredo that was sunk in 1992, appeared again. In England’s Swindon, some ghost gardens from the 17th century have emerged at Lydiard Park. In Serbia’s Danube river, the sunken remains of over 20 war ships of a Nazi fleet from World War II have been exposed. Some of them are still loaded with heavy explosives!
Italy’s longest river, Po, has yielded the remains of an ancient hamlet in Piedmont; the wreck of the Zibello, a 50-metre cargo barge sunk from 1943; a Nazi military vehicle; and, near Mantua, a 450-kg bomb, whose discovery and detonation required the evacuation of more than 3,000 people from their homes. The ruins of an ancient bridge from the time of Emperor Nero (nearly 50 AD) have also emerged in Rome’s Tiber river.
Read more.
At AiSpi, each clothing tells the story of a memorable Europe trip
Upcoming summer music festivals in Europe that you just can’t miss!