Archive for the ‘History’ Category
Who Built the Great Wall of China?
February 11th, 2011 |Who Built the Great Wall of China?
Anything on the scale of the Great Wall of China is going to be difficult to describe. While the Great Wall of China is not actually “visible from space” as many people believe, it is a truly massive manmade object, stretching for more than 3,700 miles in its entirety. Since the Great Wall of China was built across many centuries by many different people, it is impossible to point to one person or group of people and say they alone built the Great Wall.
Some history books give credit for building the Great Wall to one Emperor, Qin Shihuang. This is not exactly inaccurate, as Qin Shihuang certainly had a hand in the wall’s construction. Still other historians give credit for building the wall to everyday working class types in ancient China, and these people aren’t entirely wrong either. Many everyday Chinese contributed to the construction and upkeep of the wall, and still do.
What Was the Purpose of the Great Wall of China?
We know that parts of what we know as the Great Wall of China were in place during the Warring States Period of China, from 476 BC – 221 BC. The earliest descriptions of parts of the wall come to us from about the seventh century BC. Why was the Wall built?
Ruling powers during the Warring State Period built small walls as a defense against invasion by the northern nomadic tribes and other enemies. The first state to build such a wall was Chu which reigned from the 11th Century BC-223BC. Soon, the states of Qi, Yan, Wei, Zhao and Qin were also building walls to help protect from invasion. Once Emperor Qin Shihuang unified these six states, he ordered his generals to connect the existing walls and to extend them to create the ultimate wall to protect against nomadic invasion. This extended and unified wall is the first that can be called the Great Wall. It extended from Lintao in the west all the way to Liaodong in the east. This wall was at the time called “Wan Li Chang Cheng” (The Long Wall of 10,000 Li).
What Type of People Built the Great Wall of China?
There are three distinct groups of people who were responsible for building the wall. Originally, Emperor Shihuang used his soldiers and a few commoners to piece the wall together. Eventually, criminals were used for the more difficult or dangerous work. The Great Wall claimed many lives during its construction, thanks to extremely difficult and dangerous work, a short and hurried construction period, and bad weather and geographical conditions. Though we’ll never know how many died to build it, the number must be massive. Estimates by historians and other scientists suggest that as many as a million people died during the lengthy construction period.
Great Wall of China Facts
The Chinese invented the wheelbarrow for use during the building of the Great Wall.
Before the Ming dynasty, the wall was built with rammed earth, adobe, and stone. About 70% is made from rammed earth and adobe. Bricks were used after the Ming dynasty.
The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure in the world.
The famous watchtowers built at regular intervals along the Great Wall are up to 40 feet tall. These towers were used as lookouts and fortresses as well as for housing troops and for caches of supplies. They were also used as signal stations, where smoke or flags were used to relay messages. They also represented a tremendous diversity of architectural styles.
The length of all Chinese defense walls built over the last 2,000 years is approximately 31,070 miles, much longer than the circumference of the entire Earth.
See also:
- Who Built the Pyramids?
- Who Built Stonehenge?
- Who Built the Golden Gate Bridge?
- Who Created the Internet?
- What Is Hulu?
- What Is Angry Birds?
- What Is Solar Power?
Who Built the Pyramids?
February 11th, 2011 |Who Built the Pyramids of Egypt?
The Pyramids of Egypt were built some 4,500 years ago in many different locations on the West Bank of the Nile river. Though the most famous pyramids are the ones at Giza, several of which are still among the largest structures ever built, there are Egyptian pyramids to be found from Djoser to Abu Sir.
Because there are so many different pyramid sites and because little is known about some of them, it is impossible to point at one person or group of people and say “They built the Egyptian pyramids.” We can, however, take a look at a few people known to have built pyramids.
The Builders of the Pyramids
The great Egyptian engineer and builder Imhotep is considered to be the first Egyptian to conceive of the Pyramids. Before Imhotep, Egyptians of means (including Pharoahs and other royalty) were buried in mastabas, bench-like tombs with lots of room inside for the trappings of the dead that Egyptians seemed obsessed with. Imhotep was the first to think of “stacking” many of these mastabas on top of each other, creating a stepped pyramid structure.
Imhotep’s design was important because it emulated the creation story of Egpytians, namely that there was once a primordial mound from which the world was created. Imhotep’s first attempts at pyramid building still exist, though they are eyesores compared to the later pyramids at Giza. The first was built as a tomb for Pharoah Djoser, though today it looks more like a bulging wall or decrepit fort than a traditional pyramid.
The Shape of the Pyramids
The shape of the pyramids was intended to provide a stairway to the afterlife, thus the “steps” leading up to a peak. Imhotep’s earliest attempts have not held up over time, so it is impossible to say what the original pyramids actually looked like. One thing is for sure, the pyramids were not always crumbling and weathered. At the time of their construction, it is assumed that the stones were a bright color, perhaps even white, smooth and gleaming in the sun as it set over the Nile.
Other Pyramid Builders
Imhotep is the most famous name in pyramid construction–over time, the dynastic rule of the Pharoahs was weakened, and so was their ability to keep building these massive scale projects. Later pyramids are hastily constructed, much smaller than the famous pyramids at Giza, and some were so poorly put together that we’ve lost them altogether.
The “last” pyramid built used a special technique intended to reduce building time. The pyramid of Senusret II at el-Lahun is built around a natural hill of limestone that stands about 12 meters high. This allowed for faster construction, as a natural core existed on which to build the rest of the pyramid.
Did Slaves Build the Pyramids?
It is taught in school that slaves toiled tirelessly to build these massive tombs, but that isn’t a totally accurate answer. While some of the people who worked on the construction of the pyramids were no doubt indentured servants, they were often paid in large tax breaks and given food, water, and other necessities while working. In fact, there is record of payment made to some pyramid construction workers and contractors. The concept of slavery in Egypt is far different from what we think of today, and while some criminals worked on the Pyramid for free, most of the workers were paid in some way.
The Egyptian pyramids are fascinating, part mystery, part historical anomaly. The actual construction methods are pretty much unknown, though scientists have made inferences based on modern construction methods. Many pyramids are still being discovered and mapped, as the desert sands reveal new structures. Maybe some day we’ll find the next big clue in the quest to figure out who built the pyramids.
See also:
- Who Built Stonehenge?
- Who Built the Golden Gate Bridge?
- Who Created the Internet?
- What Is Hulu?
- What Is Angry Birds?
- What Is Solar Power?
- What Is Google Voice?
