What We Can Learn from Ancient Societies About Disaster-Proofing Our Cities From ancient Egyptian flood strategies to Mayan agricultural techniques, the ancient world can teach us how to live with environmental extremes. Earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires are natural phenomena that can become disastrous, but just how severely they affect us depends on how we prepare for and respond to them. We can’t stop earthquakes, for instance, but we can build more flexible structures. This was known even in the ancient world. Inca masons used mortar-free, precisely fitted, irregularly shaped stones that could move and settle back into position. Traditional Japanese wooden constructions featured a massive central wooden post that functioned similarly to the features that help today’s skyscrapers withstand shaking ground movement. And a new understanding of ancient Roman concrete suggests that it became stronger over time and was, to a degree, self-healing, with inclusions that reacted with water to stop cracks from propagating. Innovative planning and design also helped ancient people weather other disasters, like droughts and floods. Our ancestors knew how to use nature to their benefit, keep landscapes healthy, and rely on strong community ties. Relearning those old lessons could now help us better prepare for the disasters of the future—which are poised to cause more damage than ever. They Didn’t Fight Nature—and Often Used It to Their Benefit Around the world, flooding has become more dangerous as climate change intensifies rainfall and more people live along coastlines that are vulnerable to floods and hurricanes. But some ancient societies used overflowing rivers to their benefit. Rather than confining and directing water into a narrow space, which can create powerful torrents, flood waters were given room to spread out over large areas. Ancient Egyptians used annual floods along the Nile River to irrigate crop fields. As floodwaters receded