Early cities often were dangerous places to live. Some of the hazards were environmental, while others were caused by human behaviors. In a brief paragraph, explain which of the hazards facing early cities you think was the most dangerous. Discuss why the hazard was so dangerous, and provide a historical example of a city affected by it.

Environmental hazards include occurrences such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, landslides and volcanic eruptions. A likely hazard created by human behaviours in the time of early cities could be the improper management of human wastes due to the absence of proper sewage systems.

Environmental hazards proved devastating to some earl cities. One such example is that of Pompeii that was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Most of the city's occupants were killed by a pyroclastic flow that burried the city.