The drought in Serbia has exposed the remains of the Slovenac, a 112-year-old steam tugboat sunk in 1945 by a German mine in the Sava River, near Sremska Mitrovica. Its hull and interior are visible due to the low water level, something locals had never seen before. For citizens, this means climate change is revealing historical pieces, but it also alerts to water scarcity and its effects on daily life.
Mapping technology reveals the secrets of the Sava River 🗺️
Teams of archaeologists and local technicians have used drones with high-resolution cameras and sonar scanners to document the hull of the Slovenac, which emerges at a depth of 3 meters. Measurements indicate that the Sava's water level is 40% below the historical average. This phenomenon allows studying the ship's original structure, built in 1912, without the need for excavations. The collected data will be used to model the impact of the drought on river navigation and water supply to the region.
A ghost ship appears and nobody has water to celebrate it 😅
The Slovenac has returned to the surface after 80 years, but not to receive applause, but to remind us that the party has run out of drinks. While curious onlookers approach to photograph the rusted hull, taps in nearby homes spit out air. It is the perfect irony: the river has dropped so much that it offers an archaeological spectacle, but locals cannot take a shower to go see it. If this continues, soon there will be more visible ships than drinking water in reservoirs.