Spain: Guadalperal dolmen emerges from reservoir (video)

The drought has the whole of Europe firmly in its grip. In Spain, too, the effects cannot be overlooked. The Valdecañas reservoir, for example, has shrunk to 28 percent of its capacity. The falling water level uncovered the Guadalperal dolmen for the first time in a long time. The stone formation is also called the “Stonehenge” of Spain. The megalith complex has only been fully visible four times since the construction of the reservoir in the 1960s. According to estimates, it was built around 5000 BC. Although there are a large number of such structures in Western Europe, little is known about who built them. Human remains found in or near it have led to the oft-cited theory that they may have been tombs. It’s a surprise and a rare opportunity to re-examine the site, says archaeologist Enrique Cedillo of the University of Madrid. The site was first described 100 years ago, after that only very hastily and not in the way archaeologists are used to. So this is an opportunity that has never been had in the past. Very enjoyable.” Local history and tourism associations have advocated moving the Guadalperal Stones to a museum or other location on the mainland.