Labs / History
Cradles of Civilization
Every year the river floods, drops a band of silt, and renews the soil along its banks. Drag on the land to found a city, then tune the flood's strength and timing. The settlements that sit close to the fertile floodplain grow into cities — the ones stranded in the dry margins starve.
Year 0Cities 2People 10kFlood dryHarvest 100%
What to try
- Found a city right on the river versus one just inside the fertile band — which grows, and what does the flood crest do to the one in the channel?
- Slide the flood timing until it crests during harvest. Why does a well-fed valley suddenly stop feeding its people?
- Turn the flood strength down. How far from the water can a settlement survive when the silt no longer reaches it?
- Push irrigation reach to the maximum. Can canals let a city thrive where the floodwater never arrives on its own?
- Compare the branching delta of the Nile with the great bend of the Yellow River — where is there the most fertile land to settle?