Israeli archaeologists have reconstructed the route of a portion of the Great Wall of China forgotten by historians. It had been built in the Mongolian steppe to control nomadic populations, according to a study made public on Tuesday.
"The construction of this section of the Great Wall is a major project of the Middle Ages which is paradoxically very little mentioned in historical documents," said Professor Gideon Shelach-Lavi, member of the Chair of Asian Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and director of research.
The northern segment of the Great Wall of China was built not to block invading armies but rather to monitor civilian movement, archaeologists find.
Researchers have fully mapped the Great Wall's 740-kilometer (460-mile) Northern Line for the first timehttps: //t.co/pANgZ6U0CJ
Over 700 km long
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Wall is an aggregation of military fortifications built in northern China from the 3rd century BCE to defend the country from invasions from the? ord. Its total length is estimated at around 9,000 km, or even 21,000 km if the missing parts are counted.
Still further north, stretch the 737 kilometers of a wall made of earth unearthed by the team of Professor Shelach-Lavi. Anchored in the steppe and covered with grass, it forms the “North Line”, straddling present-day China, Russia and Mongolia. It is the first time that this part of the wall has been the subject of such an in-depth study.
Monitor nomadic populations
This line is also nicknamed "Wall of Genghis Khan" in reference to the famous warrior born in the 12th century and who, by dint of conquests, founded the immense Mongol empire. "Originally, the researchers thought that this section was built to defend the local population of the Grand Khan and his nomadic hordes," said Gideon Shelach-Lavi. "But it seems that it was not a military wall to guard against invasions. "
The relatively moderate size of the wall (around two meters) and its location in low and therefore not very strategic areas suggest that it was more intended to monitor and control the movements of nomadic populations and their herds. "It was sort of an internal policy tool," concludes the professor.
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