Most of the Great Wall of China is a very familiar sight, but it is only recently that scientists have been able to explore a small stretch of the Great Wall that extends into Mongolia, revealing the history and purpose of this massive structure. The Great Wall is 405 kilometers (252 miles) long and is known as the "Mongolian Arc" because of its winding trajectory. This completely unheard section of the Great Wall runs roughly parallel to the border between China and Mongolia, stretching from Sukhbaatar to Dornod province in northeastern Mongolia. "Although the scale and complexity are far beyond imagination, it is still uncertain when, by whom, and for what purpose," the researchers wrote.
This ancient rampart consists of earthen walls, moats, and 34 buildings. While some historical records document its construction and related information, researchers do not currently have a more accurate timeline of its history. Researchers combined satellite imagery, maps of China, and maps of the Soviet Union with field observations to analyze the wall and its associated structures. One of the most striking findings is that the Mongol Arc has a number of holes, suggesting that it was built in a hurry and was never fully fortified. "One possible explanation for these vulnerabilities is that in the final years of the Jin dynasty, the Mongol arc was hastily built to protect against an anticipated Mongol invasion," the researchers wrote.
In addition to its uncertain age, the Mongol arc may have been built as a result of the Mongol rapid invasion of Jin dynasty territory around 1200 CE. While this possibility reinforces the hastily built hypothesis, the researchers have repeatedly stressed that their insights and recommendations are only theoretical. Another theory put forward by one of the researchers is that the Mongol arc had no military function at all, but was "related to controlling the activities of people and their livestock, and perhaps some other civilian function, such as taxation." "This theory was supported because the wall was not so strong, and many of the outpost sites were not ideally located and had insufficient visibility into the surrounding terrain.
Overall, researchers are unable to make any definitive statements about the purpose of the Mongolian arc at this time, but more extensive excavations of some structures are planned in future field investigations. They hope this will help them determine the wall's "date of construction and time period of use, as well as reveal the activities of the people stationed in these fences." The study was published in the journal Field Archaeology. ️️ The largest Great Wall of China are all famous, but it was only recently that scientists began excavating a small stretch of the Great Wall that stretched into Mongolia, revealing the history and purpose of this massive structure. The Great Wall is 405 kilometers (252 miles) long and is known as the "Mongolian Arc" because of its winding trajectory. This completely unheard section of the Great Wall runs roughly parallel to the border between China and Mongolia, stretching from Sukhbaatar to Dornod province in northeastern Mongolia. There, winter temperatures often drop to minus 25 degrees Celsius (-13 degrees Fahrenheit). "Despite its unimaginable scale and complexity, it is impossible to determine exactly when, by whom, and for what purpose," the researchers wrote. As this ancient fort consists of earthen walls, moats, and 34 buildings, researchers do not currently have a more accurate timeline of its history, although some historical records document its construction and related information. The researchers combined satellite imagery, maps of China, and maps of the Soviet Union with field observations to analyze the Great Wall and its associated structures. One of the most striking findings is that the Mongol arc has a number of holes, suggesting that it was built in a hurry and was never fully fortified♂️️️️️️️ It spans more than 3,500 kilometers from south to north to prevent the invasion of Xiongnu, Qianghu and other ethnic groups. According to records, the word "Great Wall" was first found in the Book of Yi Zhou. ➡️_♀️_♂️️♂️️️️️️➡️