Europe’s summer heatwave reveals Ice Age mammoth bones, sunken Nazi relics in receding Danube River

Europe's persistent summer heatwave and drought have exposed ancient treasures beneath the receding waters of the Danube River. Along the Serbian port of Prahovo, dozens of World War II German battleships, believed to belong to Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet, have emerged from the water. Some of these warships were removed after the war, but many remained submerged, still containing unexploded ordnances like mines and shells.

Experts warn that these warships pose potential dangers, with some still containing mines, shells, and other hazardous materials. The receding water levels have also revealed a Hungarian cargo ship called the Fulton, which sank in 1937 while transporting coal near Opatovac, Croatia. Additionally, the remains of two Nazi soldiers and a World War II motorcycle have been found along the Danube in Budapest.

The German War Graves Commission (Volksbund) confirmed the discovery, with the soldiers' dog tags and a Kuban Shield, a Nazi military decoration, also found. As the Danube's water levels continue to drop to record lows, experts warn that more ancient discoveries, including a mammoth skeleton, may emerge from the river bed. In northern Bulgaria, the remains of an ancient mammoth were discovered near the village of Ryahovo, believed to be around 7,000 to 10,000 years old.

The bones, found by a local resident, include a lower jaw, two tusks, and potentially a rib, with experts stating that the animal stood nearly five meters tall and weighed over seven tonnes. The discovery of the mammoth remains, along with the Nazi war relics, highlights the historical significance of the receding Danube River.