Recent research shows that an ancient city at the site of Tell Qarqur in Syria surprisingly expanded during a severe drought period in around 2200 BC. During this period, several civilizations of the Ancient Near East declined or collapsed, including the Akkadian Empire and the Old Kingdom of Egypt. During the same period, Tell Quarqur grew in size, which recent research attributes to the particular nature of the Orontes river, at which the site is located. Read the full story on Live Science.