Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Centuries Before China's 'Great Wall,' There Was Another
NPR (National Partisan Radio) ^ | December 29, 2013 | Christopher Joyce

Posted on 01/01/2014 8:03:10 PM PST by SunkenCiv

The Great Wall of China, built more than 2,000 years ago, stands as one of the monumental feats of ancient engineering. Stretching thousands of miles, it protected the newly unified country from foreign invaders.

But before the Great Wall, warring Chinese dynasties built many other walls for protection...

Gary Feinman, who is with the Field Museum of Chicago, didn't set out to excavate what he now calls "the first Great Wall." He was simply walking around eastern China's Shandong province, staring at the ground like any good archaeologist, looking for tiny pieces of pottery.

But two years ago, he came across an earthen wall. In some places, it was 15 feet high. People knew there had been an early great wall in Shandong, dating to about 500 B.C. — built centuries before the Great Wall. What Feinman discovered seemed to be a part of that early wall. "By walking this part ... we have seen how well designed it was," he says. "It really runs along the higher ridge-tops of these very craggy mountains in eastern Shandong. In the upper reaches of its run, it was amazingly well preserved."

Feinman has, essentially, adopted the wall. He's been tracing its path, mapping it, and thinks it may extend several hundred miles. "Nobody has done that before," Feinman says. "Nobody has seen how it snaked ... through such a large area."

The Chinese who built the wall used a technique called "rammed earth." Workers apparently got fine-grained soil from lower elevations and carried tons and tons and tons of it up to the ridge tops, where they dumped the dirt in piles. Then they started beating these piles until they were exceedingly hard, Feinman says – creating a wall tough enough to survive 2,500 years.

(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: china; godsgravesglyphs
In Jiaonan county, the Qi wall incorporates outcrops of bedrock. -- Linda Nicholas/The Field Museum

In Jiaonan county, the Qi wall incorporates outcrops of bedrock. -- Linda Nicholas/The Field Museum

1 posted on 01/01/2014 8:03:10 PM PST by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

2 posted on 01/01/2014 8:03:52 PM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
ANYTHING is possible to build when you have a nation of slaves to do the grunt work. Just like the ancient Egyptians.

China is where life has little value unless you are a SON of an important official, or even better, a son of ANYONE. There are so few women that an entire generation of men grew up and had no one to marry. They are called the "bare branches."

China has tried everything to stop families from murdering their female fetuses. Thanks to amniocenteses families now know the gender of baby-in-womb. The government even tried giving the girls jobs that were inherited by the sons only. That still didn't work. WAY too many men with no wives.

China is even exploring the idea of allowing TWO children. Heck, that will just double the baby-girl murders. How evil is that?

3 posted on 01/01/2014 8:11:19 PM PST by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cloudmountain

[ China is where life has little value unless you are a SON of an important official, or even better, a son of ANYONE. There are so few women that an entire generation of men grew up and had no one to marry. They are called the “bare branches.”

China has tried everything to stop families from murdering their female fetuses. Thanks to amniocenteses families now know the gender of baby-in-womb. The government even tried giving the girls jobs that were inherited by the sons only. That still didn’t work. WAY too many men with no wives.

China is even exploring the idea of allowing TWO children. Heck, that will just double the baby-girl murders. How evil is that? ]

Even sadder when you consider Chinese women are quite beautiful by western standards.


4 posted on 01/01/2014 8:39:40 PM PST by GraceG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: GraceG

“China has tried everything to stop families from murdering their female fetuses.”

No, they haven’t. They haven’t tried stopping interfering with families and mandating one child only.


5 posted on 01/01/2014 8:42:32 PM PST by CodeToad (When ignorance rules a person's decision they are resorting to superstition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Field Museum archeologist Gary Feinman and a team of researchers from Shandong University survey a portion of the First Great Wall, which still stands 15-feet tall in some places.


6 posted on 01/01/2014 8:45:16 PM PST by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad

China ends reeducation through labour and loosens one child policy
Telegraph.co.uk-Dec 28, 2013


7 posted on 01/01/2014 8:48:33 PM PST by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: GraceG

“Even sadder when you consider Chinese women are quite beautiful by western standards.”

Yes, I think Chinese women are much more beautiful, by Western standards, then Chinese men.


8 posted on 01/01/2014 8:57:24 PM PST by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Born to Conserve; All

Natural selection at work. Ugly women rejected, infanticide practiced for centuries.


9 posted on 01/01/2014 9:31:56 PM PST by gleeaikin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: gleeaikin

did you know the Koreans also had a great wall—to keep out the Chinese! It was rather impressive—too bad its located in North Korea or it would make a great tourist destination.


10 posted on 01/01/2014 9:42:53 PM PST by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: cloudmountain

A nation of young adult men with no prospect of a woman in their lives.

What could possibly go wrong?

//sarcasm


11 posted on 01/02/2014 6:19:49 AM PST by Vermont Lt (If you want to keep your dignity, you can keep it. Period........ Just kidding, you can't keep it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Forward the Light Brigade

That did not work very well in the 50’s did it?


12 posted on 01/02/2014 6:20:56 AM PST by Vermont Lt (If you want to keep your dignity, you can keep it. Period........ Just kidding, you can't keep it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv; Revolting cat!
Picture proof of early Chinaman.


13 posted on 01/02/2014 6:26:17 AM PST by a fool in paradise ("Health care is too important to be left to the government.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GraceG
Even sadder when you consider Chinese women are quite beautiful by western standards.

Depends on how perfect her features are. I taught zillions of Chinese and they have as many "pretty" females as any other culture.

The Chinese have no bridge on their nose. Not everyone thinks that is attractive. Also, being bridge-less their glasses, if they wear them, are always on the end of their nose. Contact lenses are the best idea. If they need sunglasses, they are doomed to have those glasses down by the nose.

Many Chinese also have a rather wide, splayed nose. All Han Chinese also have perfectly round nostrils. Are these pretty?

Asians, Chinese, that is, also have the "single eyelid," as opposed to the Caucasian "double eyelid." MANY Asian women get surgery to give them the "double eyelid."

Ah me, physical beauty will disappear anyway.

BEAUTY, or "perfect" features depends on the Fibonacci ratio. That is the "perfect" face in ratio of features to the face. Any forehead, lips, nose, ears that is/are too large or too small and doesn't fit into the "Fiboncci" ratio and thus keep that face from being handsome or beautiful. See the pages below. http://www.goldennumber.net/face/

My dear sweet husband thought I was gorgeous at all times. At least he said so. :o) I was a lucky blessed wife.

14 posted on 01/02/2014 1:43:57 PM PST by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt
A nation of young adult men with no prospect of a woman in their lives.
What could possibly go wrong?
//sarcasm

China's regular droughts and famines that caused SO MUCH suffering and death are always reminders to them to keep their family numbers low--so no more "The Good Earth" books are written about China.

I think their problem is the same as anywhere else in the world -- greed. Even COMMUNISM didn't teach the Chinese to "share." A healthy dose of the Judeo-Christian ethic would help, I think.

15 posted on 01/02/2014 1:48:02 PM PST by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad
No, they haven’t. They haven’t tried stopping interfering with families and mandating one child only

Apparently the Chinese believe that the horrible famines they used to endure with ALARMING regularity are a reason for the one-child family. Since female babies are anathema to them, female infanticide will continue.

The Chinese don't LIKE females. Even their privileged girls had to have their FEET bound so they would have those RIDICULOUSLY small, useless feet. THAT is what they did and it was EXCRUCIATINGLY painful. That was for the privileged females. Imagine how they treated poor, ugly, stupid women of the poor classes.

They need a big dose of Judeo-Christian morality.

16 posted on 01/02/2014 2:01:09 PM PST by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Born to Conserve
Yes, I think Chinese women are much more beautiful, by Western standards, then Chinese men.

Lol. I have taught THOUSANDS of Chinese, male and female. There are some UGLY Chinese women, I'm afraid, and you've seen too many Suzie Wong movies.
The Chinese men get 50% of their genes from each parent. So it's really YOUR own personal concept of what if beautiful. Chinese women are and Chinese men aren't.

One thing my hairdressers have always said is that Chinese women have a problem with premature pattern balding at the very top of their head. When they dye their graying hair BLACK the baldness shows up even more.

One thing, the ABC's (American born Chinese) do have butts, chests and boobs, the same bodies that any other Americans have.
There is such a dearth of protein (expensive to grow) that CIAs (Chinese in America) and FOBs (Fresh Off the Boeing) have NO butts, boobs or chests.

The Chinese USED to give what meat they had to their Army. Then when China entered the world athletic field, their athletes SUCKED, weak! So, now the Chinese give what meat they do produce to BOTH the Army and their athletes. Their athletes do MUCH better now.

17 posted on 01/02/2014 2:09:51 PM PST by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt
A nation of young adult men with no prospect of a woman in their lives.
What could possibly go wrong?
//sarcasm

SHUDDER!!

18 posted on 01/02/2014 2:11:22 PM PST by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: cloudmountain

Sorry, I think China would be one of the last places I would go to find a good looking woman.

Europeans are better looking. That is why everyone else uses makeup and surgery to try and look like them.

http://www.shanghaistuff.com/forum/topics/girls-who-look-way-better-online?commentId=1345985%3AComment%3A5340889


19 posted on 01/02/2014 4:43:48 PM PST by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Born to Conserve
Sorry, I think China would be one of the last places I would go to find a good looking woman.
Europeans are better looking. That is why everyone else uses makeup and surgery to try and look like them.

Being female I prefer the European MEN and do not find Asian men attractive--or any other race except my own. I find Hispanic men attractive (since my father was one) too if they resemble more of the European side. My father took on a very French look of his ancestry...and so do I.

Caveat: in every race and culture there ARE men and women who are gorgeous, no matter what. Not many, but a few.

When I was younger I went to Europe and Mexico to see who I looked like...German, English, Irish, Czech, French, Mexican or Spanish.
Sigh, I look like a Frog. Dang, I don't like the French but since I'm 100% American I don't care anymore.

20 posted on 01/03/2014 7:30:19 AM PST by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson