Long lost ruins and 'hunger stones' being discovered due to drought

Low rainfall and prolonged heatwaves in the summer of 2022 are causing intense drought in several European countries. As a result, many rivers and streams are currently at historically low levels, causing concern among local populations.

As a result of the low water levels, long-lost artefacts and ruins have been discovered across Europe.

‘Hunger stones’ reappeared in Germany

These rocks, known as ‘hunger stones’, only become visible during periods of intense drought, when agricultural harvests are also very small. These inscriptions were already used centuries ago as ‘hydrological markers’ to warn of impending famine, as reported by The Independent.

But this is not the first time that these ‘hunger stones’ have been seen in recent years. In particular, they showed up during a drought that hit central Europe in 2018. However, 2022 could be the worst year in as much as half a millennium, according to Andrea Toreti, senior researcher at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.

A church ruin in England

The ongoing heatwave and drought in Europe have also meant that water levels in the UK are lowering. As a result in Derwent in Derbyshire, the ruins of a long-lost church have been unearthed.

Indeed as reported by Mirror, in the 1940s, the village of Derwent was flooded in order to create the Ladybower Reservoir. The reservoir was created to offer a water supply to the cities of Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester.

The water company Severn Trent revealed that the reservoir was 54.5% of its capacity on August 8.

Read more:

⋙ Ancient long lost temple dedicated to the sun god Ra has been discovered

⋙ Flash flood alert in the UK: Here are the areas affected and how to prepare

⋙ One of Britain’s largest burial sites has been discovered