Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Hunger Stones

A post went viral this week on Reddit about "hunger stones," though the image was originally posted in 2014. 

The following is from "Archaeohistories" Twitter account:
Recent droughts in Europe once again made visible the "Hunger Stones" in some Czech and German rivers. These stones were used to mark desperately low river levels that would forecast famines. This one, in Elbe river, is from 1616 and says: "If you see me, cry"














Some of the stones have inscriptions from multiple droughts separated by decades or even centuries, creating a history of tragic times. 

Besides being incredibly evocative, this seems like a metaphor for own lives, at times. When the hunger stones are exposed, it's not a permanent condition, because eventually, there will be rain, and they will be covered once more. 

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