What are the “hunger stones” that appear in Europe?
These types of messages were left centuries ago in several major rivers in Europe. This is what we know about hunger stonesIts meaning and why is a bad indication of the drought afflicting this continent.
What is the hunger stone?
Hunger stones are inscriptions that are written on the rocks at the edges of the stones to announce the approaching poverty or catastrophe because they are related to the lack of water, which affects agriculture and navigation.
Famine stones in Europe
Over the centuries, Europeans determined low water levels during dry spells by carving lines and dates into rocks along the Elbe River, which runs from the Czech Republic to Germany.
The idea was that if the water level fell low enough to reveal an ancient carving, it would serve as a signal to local residents that times of drought and famine were coming, similar to those of the exact year.
More than a dozen of these “hunger stones” have reappeared on the Elbe this year, amid a record European drought, a report from AP Agency.
The oldest watermark dates back to 1616. This stone is considered one of the oldest hydrological signs in Central Europe.
The Rhine dries up
Shipping brokers and commodity traders said, on Monday, that the German Rhine River water level decreased again during the hot and dry weekend, causing cargo ships to be unable to sail fully loaded.
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