Drought in Europe exposes ancient treasures, hazards

Weeks of baking drought across Europe have seen water levels in rivers and lakes fall to levels few can remember, exposing long-submerged treasures - and some unwanted hazards.

In Spain, suffering its worst drought in decades, archaeologists have been delighted by the emergence of a prehistoric stone circle dubbed the "Spanish Stonehenge" that is usually covered by the waters of a dam. Officially known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, the stone circle currently sits fully exposed in one corner of the Valdecanas reservoir, in the central province of Caceres, where authorities say the water level has dropped to 28 percent of capacity.

The dolmen of Guadalperal is seen due to the receding waters of the Valdecanas reservoir in the outskirts of El Gordo, Spain, on August 3, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

Memories of past droughts have also been rekindled in Germany by the reappearance of so-called "hunger stones" along the River Rhine. Many such stones have become visible along the banks of Germany's largest river in recent weeks.

A WWII bomb discovered in the dried-up river Po is being detonated in Medole, Italy, on August 7, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

Another of Europe's mighty rivers, the Danube, has fallen to one of its lowest levels in almost a century as a result of the drought, exposing the hulks of more than 20 German warships sunk during World War Two near Serbia's river port town of Prahovo.

An aerial view shows a branch of the Loire River as historical drought hits France, in Loireauxence, France, on August 16, 2022.PHOTO: REUTERS

Italy has declared a state of emergency for areas around the River Po, and in late July a previously submerged 450-kg (1,000-pound) World War Two bomb was discovered in the low-running waters of the country's longest river.