This paper deals with the issue of documenting hydrological drought with the help of drought marks (DMs) which have been preserved on dozens of hunger stones (HSs) in the river channel of the Elbe in Bohemia and Saxony. So far, the hunger stones have been regarded rather as an illustration of dry seasons. Our aim was, among other issues, to draw attention to the much greater value of hunger stones and individual dry year marks inscribed on them. Therefore, we wanted to verify their reliability and better understand the motivation of their authors. For this purpose, we used the current extreme drought period of 2014–2019, which allowed detailed documentation of a hunger stone in Děčín, Czech Republic, with marks dating from 1536 to 2003. Thanks to the helpful position of the stones relative to the water gauge, we could compare the measured mark heights to the corresponding water levels. Simultaneously, we have scanned the objects into 3D format so that it is possible to perform a detailed inspection of all the marks, even those that were overlooked during the field survey. A review of scientific and technical literature from the 19th century showed that the marks of low water levels on stones and rock outcrops were to some extent interconnected with other important points. They were linked to zero points of water gauges, initially set up for navigation purposes, and to flood marks. The particular situation in Děčín is therefore a unique example of the epigraphic indication of low and high water levels in the enclosing profile of the upper part of the Elbe River basin. To verify the low water level marks or drought marks, we used the then current scientific studies focussing on dry periods. However, we also used the oldest series of daily water levels measured in Magdeburg, Dresden and Prague, available from 1851, i.e. the beginning of measurements in Děčín. These series had to be reconstructed or digitised from Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) archive sources. Since 1851 we have been able to accurately identify the heights and sometimes even the specific days when the minima were marked. After a thorough field examination and newly measured data, coupled with data obtained from a review of older literature presenting the first surveys of marks on hunger stones as presented in 1842, older marks of low water levels can be considered a reliable indication of the annual water level minima. The aim of the mark creators was not to make commemorative inscriptions of drought but to register the exact minimum water level. Deviations between the marks and the water gauge records did not exceed 4 cm, and only exceptionally was the disparity greater. From the material obtained so far, an overall slightly decreasing trend of water level minima since the end of the 18th century is noticeable. The view on minima of the 16th and 17th centuries is based on only a few items of data, and it is difficult to generalise. However, the minima obtained are comparable to or lower than the data from the critical dry periods of 1842 and 1858 to 1874. Our verification of low water level marks should be an incentive to process all available epigraphic documents of this kind in the near future in closer cooperation with colleagues from Saxony. The potential of these objects offers a deeper knowledge of periods of hydrological drought and possibly of morphological changes in the Elbe riverbed.

中文翻译：

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饥饿的石头上的低水位标记：1616年至2015年易北河的验证

本文涉及借助干旱标志（DM）记录水文干旱的问题，该标志已保存在波西米亚和萨克森州易北河河道的数十块饥饿石（HS）上。到目前为止，饥饿的石头被认为是旱季的例证。除其他问题外，我们的目标是吸引人们注意饥饿的石头和上面刻有单独的干旱年份标记的更大价值。因此，我们想验证其可靠性并更好地了解其作者的动机。为此，我们使用了当前的2014-2019年极端干旱时期，该时期可以详细记录捷克共和国德钦的一块饥饿的石头，其标记可以追溯到1536年至2003年。这得益于石头相对于水的有利位置测量，我们可以将测得的标记高度与相应的水位进行比较。同时，我们将对象扫描为3D格式，以便可以对所有标记进行详细检查，即使是在现场调查中被忽略的标记也是如此。回顾19世纪的科学技术文献表明，石头和岩石露头上的低水位标记在某种程度上与其他要点相互关联。它们与最初为导航目的而设置的水位表的零位点以及洪水标记相关联。因此，Děčín的特殊情况是易北河流域上部封闭剖面中高低水位的人口统计学迹象的独特示例。要验证低水位标记或干旱标记，我们使用了当时针对干旱时期的当前科学研究。但是，我们还使用了1851年以来在马格德堡，德累斯顿和布拉格测得的最古老的每日水位序列，即在德钦开始测量的水平。这些系列必须从捷克水文气象学院（CHMI）档案资源中重建或数字化。自1851年以来，我们已经能够准确地识别出高度，有时甚至可以识别出标记最小值的特定日期。经过全面的现场检查和新近测得的数据，再加上从较早文献中获得的数据，这些文献介绍了1842年出现的饥饿石头上的痕迹的首次调查，因此低水位的较早痕迹可以被视为年度水量的可靠指示。最低级别。商标创造者的目的不是制作纪念干旱的铭文，而是记录确切的最低水位。标记与水位记录之间的偏差不超过4厘米，只有例外情况是差异更大。从到目前为止获得的材料来看，自18世纪末以来，最低水位总体呈略微下降的趋势。关于16和17世纪极小值的观点仅基于少量数据，很难一概而论。但是，所获得的最小值与1842年和1858年至1874年的关键干旱时期的数据相当或低于这些数据。我们对低水位标记的验证将激励不久的将来处理所有此类可用的人口统计学文件。与萨克森州的同事进行更紧密的合作。