The drop in water level by 28 per cent exposed one of the corners of the Valdecanas reservoir in the central province of Caceres, as per the authorities
Rural Spain is suffering from the country’s worst drought in decades. However, it has successfully fascinated archaeologists with its latest discovery. Archaeologists discovered a neolithic stone circle in a dam whose waterline has receded. Known as the Spanish Stonehenge and officially known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, several megalithic stones were discovered. These stones are believed to have existed since 5000 BC.
The drop in water level by 28 per cent exposed one of the corners of the Valdecanas reservoir in the central province of Caceres, as per the authorities.
According to media reports, Hugo Obermaier, a German archaeologist, was the first to discover the site in 1926 under Francisco Franco’s dictatorship. However, for rural development, the area was submerged in 1963. Now, with its reappearance, archaeologists are heading to the site to study it in detail. Since then, the site has appeared only four times.
About the Dolmen of Guadalperal
These Spanish Stonehenge are vertically arranged stones which are supported by a flat boulder. If one is touring Western Europe, one can see these sporadically scattered across the region. Nobody has any idea who may have erected them. Some believe these are tombs because human remains have been discovered in many of them.
To make sure it lasts for a longer duration of time and to increase dolmen tourism, local historical and tourism associations have suggested moving the stones to dry land or museums.
According to media reports, this re-emergence of stone was helpful to small boat tour businesses as they spent the entire day shuttling tourists to the site and back to the hotel.
However, there is a grimmer side to this discovery. According to a study published in Nature Geoscience journal, the Iberian peninsula has reached its driest point in the last 1,200 years. Winter is predicted to become less frequent.