7000-Year-Old 'Spain Stonehenge' Revealed on Dried Riverbed Due to Drought

"Considering Historical Value, Dolmens Must Be Relocated"
Series of Bodies Found in US Lake

The dolmen of Guadalperal, revealed at the Valdeca?as Reservoir in C?ceres, western Spain.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] In Spain, which is experiencing the worst heatwave and drought in history, a dolmen created 7,000 years ago has been discovered. It was revealed as the water level of a reservoir dropped due to the drought.

Recently, foreign media such as ABC News reported that dozens of megaliths, called the "Stonehenge of Spain," have emerged as the Valdeca?as Reservoir in C?ceres Province, western Spain, dried up due to the drought. According to authorities, the reservoir's water level has fallen to 28% of its total capacity.

The official name of these megaliths is the "Dolmen of Guadalperal." It was discovered in 1926 by German archaeologist Hugo Obermaier, but in 1963, under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, the area was submerged when a reservoir was created as part of a rural development project.

Local residents and tourism associations are advocating for relocating the Dolmen of Guadalperal to museums or other places. Considering the high historical value of this dolmen, a petition from one association to move and preserve it in another location was submitted to the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 2019.

Currently, the drought in Spain is extremely severe. According to a study published recently in the journal Nature Geoscience, some areas of Spain and Portugal have experienced the driest weather in 1,200 years due to climate change. Observations show that Spain's annual rainfall has decreased by 5 to 10 mm each year since 1950, and it is projected that winter rainfall will decrease by an additional 10 to 20% by the end of the 21st century.

Meanwhile, in the United States, bodies have been repeatedly found in lakes with lowered water levels due to drought. According to CNN and others on the 7th, the fourth body since May 5 was discovered in Lake Mead in the western U.S.

Some speculate that the discovered bodies may be linked to organized crime, as Lake Mead is close to Las Vegas, known as the gambling city. However, the police drew a line, stating, "It is true that there was organized crime in Las Vegas in the past, but this is just speculation." They also expect that as the severe drought continues and water levels drop, more remains will be found.