Mysterious outlines of ancient societies have revealed themselves across the seared landscape of the Czech Republic.

These "hunger stones" are inscribed boulders along the coast of the Elbe River that are becoming visible because of the region's drought.

The stones reveal eerie messages from droughts that took place hundreds of years ago. "If you see me, weep," says a writing dating back to 1616.

As Europe wilts in the sweltering, record-breaking harshness of summer 2018, strange things are happening.

Mysterious outlines of ancient societies have revealed themselves across the seared landscape, but it's not just traces of ghostly architecture resurfacing. So too are grim words of warning.

Inscribed boulders known as hunger stones are reappearing in the Czech Republic after a prolonged drought afflicting Central Europe, the Associated Press reports.

These hunger stones traditionally sit below the waterline of the Elbe River as it flows through the town of Decin in the country's north, but with water levels hitting record lows in Europe, the rocks and the words carved into them have been exposed once more.

In the current conditions, more than a dozen of the hunger stones can now be seen around Decin, recording the low water levels of years and centuries long ago — "chiselled with the years of hardship and the initials of authors lost to history," as described by the authors of a 2013 study on historical Czech droughts.

The oldest and best known of these landmarks, known simply as Hunger Rock, according to Decin's tourist guide, contains an inscription that dates back to 1616, which says: "Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine," or, "If you see me, weep."

People visiting one of the so-called hunger stones exposed by the low level of water in the Elbe river in Decin, Czech Republic, on Thursday. Petr David Josek/AP

While the oldest legible inscription on this particular Decin hunger stone is from 1616, the rock commemorates numerous droughts going as far back as 1417.

A fellow hunger stone in Germany records the conditions that year in no happier terms: "If you will again see this stone, so you will weep, so shallow the water was in the year 1417."

Others say things like, "We cried — We cry — And you will cry," and: "Who once saw me, he cried. Whoever sees me now will cry."

The reasons for such ominous bouts of weeping could be numerous.

When drought and heat came, it could signal not only a bad harvest but a lack of food and higher prices. And as the water level sank, river transportation became harder, threatening the livelihood of families living along the shore.

With the Elbe now at its lowest level in more than half a century, the drought is also surfacing reminders of a different kind of misery: unexploded World War II bombs and hand grenades that have been corroding in this waterway for over 70 years.

While scientists are still coming to terms with what the Northern Hemisphere's sweltering summer portends for the future, a more recent Czech inscription on the Hunger Rock at least tries to lighten the mood a little.

"Neplac holka, nenarikej, kdyz je sucho, pole strikej," or: "Don't cry, girl, don't fret. When it's dry, just spray your field wet."

Sound advice. If your pail has any water, that is.