The tradition of carving the date upon which a rock was visible at low water in drought years was, and is, a well-established one in central Europe. This was designed to serve as a record, and a warning to future generations.
The custom, with various examples, is set out in an article from bigthink.com can be read at Europe's dry rivers reveal creepy "hunger stones" iflscience.com also has a post about these hunger stones, and in particular one on the Elbe near the Bohemian-German border which was first inscribed in 1417 and periodically thereafter down to 1893, and that can be seen at What Are "Hunger Stones" And Why Did They Terrify People In Europe?
The BBC News website also has something about these hunger stones in an article looking at the effects of the drought across the continent and the revelation of foundations, wrecks and lost garden layouts and which can be seen at In pictures: Drought in Europe exposes sunken ships, lost villages and ominous 'hunger stones'
The BBC also has an article about the exceptionally low level of the Rhine at Rhine River – Europe’s Second-Largest River – Runs Dry This story reminds me of reading how in 1540 it was claimed the Rhine was so low it was possible the drive a horse and wagon across the river. Even allowing for shifts in the narrative looking at the current pictures this does not seem as far fetched as one might have thought. This drought was linked to the exceptional vintage of that year, which also survived in the popular memory.
There are some additional, striking images of the Rhine and of other affected areas in an ABC News report at Lakes and rivers in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, China and US run dry as drought and water shortages grip Northern Hemisphere - ABC News
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