Ruins Revealed

Last summer, Europe experienced intense heat waves and the worst drought in 500 years. The hot and dry conditions fueled wildfires across the continent, destroyed crops, and resulted in thousands of deaths. The record-breaking high temperatures and lack of rainfall caused many lakes and rivers to dry up. The reduced water levels revealed submerged historical and cultural artifacts, including monuments, bridges, and villages.

Archaeologists are excited to investigate the ruins, like a prehistoric monument called the Dolmen of Guadalperal, shown above left. It reappeared as waters receded in a reservoir in Spain. Little is known about the monument made of giant stones, which is estimated to be 4,000 to 5,000 years old. “It’s a rare opportunity to be able to access it,” said Enrique Cedillo, an archaeologist at Complutense University of Madrid.

Sites like this have reappeared across Europe. In 1992, residents of Aceredo, Spain, relocated so that officials could create a reservoir in the area. Last summer’s low water levels exposed the village’s remains, shown above center. At Yorkshire Water reservoir in England, receding waters revealed a historic bridge, shown next to a contemporary bridge in the image above right. Now historians and other visitors can explore these exposed ruins.

While these artifacts offer a chance for people to learn more about a region’s past, many scientists are troubled. They know that these droughts are an indicator of human-caused climate change and its effects around the world.

“It’s hugely concerning,” said Yadvinder Malhi, an environmental scientist at the University of Oxford. “It’s a sign that there are big shifts going on in the stability of the global climate and the regional weather that’s going to cause more and more stress on human systems and natural ecosystems.”