DROUGHT DISCOVERIES

 14 August 2022: We all have been complaining (whining?) about the unprecedented heat the past few weeks, the drought, and extremes in the weather across the world. But sometimes, you discover unexpected treasures (?) in adversity - especially when the waters recede. From Bloomberg:

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 Extreme Heat Uncovers Lost Villages, Ancient Ruins and Shipwrecks

In an eerie twist, volatile weather and heat-induced drought are unearthing glimpses of lost archaeological treasures and forgotten history.

Extreme heat this year has triggered wildfires, drought and melting glaciers. Less expectedly, it’s also revealed some weird and dark things about our past—shipwrecks, corpses, ghost villages, ornamental gardens and ancient cities. Here’s a look at some of those discoveries.

Roman Remains

Italy’s drought has revealed artifacts from World War II and a glimpse of life under Nero.

    Italy's River Po

Months without rain and an earlier-than-usual halt in flows from melting snow in the Alps depleted the River Po—Italy’s longest river—to its lowest level in 70 years. The dried-up riverbed revealed previously hidden World War II-era wreckage such as a German tank and cargo ships.

 

 

 

Roman bridge ruins - Tiber River

In Rome, meanwhile, drought sapped the River Tiber and unveiled a bridge that’s thought to have been built during Emperor Nero’s rule. This summer’s extremely hot and dry conditions in Italy forced the government to declare a state of emergency in July.

 

Aceredo, a village near Spain’s border with Portugal, was flooded in 1992 to make room for the Alto Lindoso reservoir. In February—about 30 years later—drought re-exposed the small town. Soon, tourists began flocking to see a place frozen in time.

 

Scientists expect Galicia to continue suffering from extreme dry spells. “Rainfall and drought patterns are always more complex, more difficult to predict scientifically,” said Jofre Carnicer, Barcelona-based climate researcher and an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s sixth assessment. “The risk of drought in the next decades in this area will increase.”

Grim Discoveries

Some US reservoirs that should’ve brimmed with snowmelt in the spring instead had bathtub rings of dry dirt, including Lake Mead. The lake fell this year to a record low.

Lake Mead—the massive reservoir at the iconic Hoover Dam—has shrunk to a fraction of its former self to become a site of ghoulish curiosity.

Lake Meade discoveries

Visitors have come across everything from sunken boats to dead bodies. “We could find everything from a missing jet ski to more bodies,” said Michael Green, an associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “As the water recedes, we will find more.”

The human remains discovered at the site include a body in a barrel, according to the US National Park Service. The cause of death is under investigation.

Officials with the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department declined to comment further.

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Creepy, if you ask me! Imagine strolling along the recently uncovered bottom of the lake, maybe looking for treasures - or that watch you accidentally lost overboard 5 years ago(!) -  and ... "oh my! A body!" 

And for those who have an interest in numbers: Maritime Maunder, approaching our 8th anniversary [who'd have thought!] - it's next Sunday, by the way - has now surpassed 138,000 readers, world-wide! We are stunned, humbled, and grateful! 

Until next time,

                                  Fair winds,

                                      Old Salt