Eli5 How did ancient cities/settlements in inhospitable climates (I.e. the Sahara, the arctic circle etc) survive?
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I was recently reading a book about Sumeria which roughly corresponds with Southern Iraq today. Sumeria had very little rainfall so the people at that time were dependent on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and irrigation systems.
Despite the climate, there were areas of marshland where the rivers had flooded and the Sumerians drained these areas to create fertile farmland. Aside from farming of crops and animals, the Sumerians hunted and fished.
Sumeria also benefited from a highly-organised workforce which was government-controlled. Sumerians saw hard work as a religious duty (although labour strikes weren’t uncommon).
It was similar for Ancient Egypt which relied heavily on the river Nile.
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