THE ancient Greeks built structures sturdy enough to survive earthquakes, but they didn’t master the art of building along the shore. Two sunken cities off the Nile delta collapsed beneath the waves because they lacked the foundations or deep pilings used today to support buildings on soft, water-saturated soil. A similar fate could befall cities such as Venice if protective measures are not taken.
The Greek cities of Herakleion and Eastern Canopus, built near the vanished Canopic channel of the Nile, now lie 5 to 7 metres underwater. But only 4.6 metres of this is explained by rising sea levels.…
