The Black Sea is one of the most significant examples of the effects of flooding on the environment, as it had developed into a giant freshwater lake following the latest Quaternary glaciation. Through the use of shell dating of species found within the Black and Mediterranean Sea, scientists were able to determine that the Black Sea had grown a significant amount from when it had first formed as a freshwater lake. More than 100,000 square kilometers of continental shelf were submerged due to the rising levels of the Mediterranean, which spilled into the freshwater lake that originally made up the Black Sea.
“Ever since paleolithic times, most of Egypt’s population settled and lived close to the Nile banks and within its delta. Ancient Egyptians’ life was highly affected by the Nile’s seasonal fluctuations, especially its summer floods, predictable enough since they regularly came from June to September due to rains in Ethiopia. Thus, it was easy for the Egyptians, who possessed advanced knowledge of the stars by which they could accurately measure the passing of time, to schedule their crop’s succession through the year.” (Angelakis et al. 2023)
Many different societies had grown accustomed to the yearly droughts and floods. They have found ways to keep track of the seasons and developed technology to help divert natural disasters and survive in the case of a dangerous event.
“Minoan, Mycenaean, Indian, and other civilizations felt an urgent need to organize strategies to counter flooding and to facilitate drainage, collection, storage, and use of water, and some Minoan urban drainage and sewerage systems are still in operation” (Angelakis et al. 2023)
“The “Minoan viaduct” is one of the most impressive structures at the Caravanserai in the ancient entrance of the archaeological site of Knossos...According to the archeologist Evans (1921–1935)...It consisted of four columns (width 3.2–4.60 m) of carved limestone alternating with stepped openings, probably for the free passage of stormwater flowing from the steep hillside. The stepped openings are from three to four tiers” (Angelakis et al. 2023)
As the years pass and societies adapt to their living conditions and environments, more developments pop-up that help societies thrive. In this example, the Minoan viaduct was built in order to direct rainwater away from the city. There are societies that use architectures such as this to direct some of the water away from the city and some of the water towards the city as an open source of water for the citizens.
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