Tag Archives: rulers

Before the Great Wall: Chinese Rulers Carved Shallow Grooves

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Excavation of Mongolia’s medieval wall system by archaeologists

Gideon Shelach-Lavi et al. 2025

Long before the construction of the Great Wall of China, other significant walls were erected on the Eurasian steppes, not with the intent of safeguarding the Mongolian army. Recent diggings indicate that they were established to regulate movement and to showcase power, similar to modern boundary walls.

The Great Wall of China spans thousands of kilometers, with its longest segment measuring approximately 8,850 kilometers. This section originates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and served as a physical barrier against Mongol incursions.

In contrast to large fortifications, the earlier systems consist of a network of trenches, walls, and enclosures approximately 4,000 km wide across northern China, Mongolia, and Russia.

This infrastructure was developed between the 10th and 12th centuries by various dynasties, primarily the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD). It was primarily constructed by the people of Siberia and the Zurchen from northeastern China, who were herders.

Gideon Shelach-Lavi from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, along with his team, has utilized satellite imagery and drones to explore and map these ancient walls. They are now investigating a 405 km section excavated in Mongolia, including one of the enclosures.

The structure features a trench about 1 meter deep and 3 meters wide, with the earth piled on one side, forming a compact earth wall that stands 1-2 meters tall. At intervals, a thick square stone enclosure approximately 30 meters wide was added along the wall.

The purpose of these walls is still unclear, as historical records are scarce, and they were not built at natural geographical divides, according to Shelach-Lavi.

Many historians believed they were constructed to thwart Genghis Khan’s army, which reigned over the Mongol Empire from 1206 to 1227. However, Sherach Ravi asserts that these structures would not have been particularly effective for defense. “They were not designed to repel military invasions,” he states.

Instead, he theorizes that the walls were primarily a demonstration of power — showing that the region was under the control of the Jin Dynasty. The walls allowed for the regulation of people through the enclosure gates, managing the flow of people, goods, and animals. He suggests that even though they may not have stopped armies, the walls might have been effective in preventing smaller attacks.

“The objective seems to be guiding individuals towards these enclosures, allowing for control and taxation,” he explains. “It’s all about monitoring movement, which is not so different from what we observe today.”

The findings at the enclosure also illuminate the lifestyle of the inhabitants. “This is a picturesque area,” remarks Sherach Ravi. “We have uncovered extensive evidence of livestock grazing, hunting, and fishing.”

Moreover, within the enclosure, researchers discovered stone platforms or benches that could have served as stoves or beds for the Han Chinese during the Song Dynasty, who were in conflict with the Jin Dynasty.

This suggests that significant resources went into building and maintaining garrisons, indicating that people lived there year-round and engaged in agriculture. “This is remarkable, as even today, farming activities are minimal in this region,” he notes.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The ancient Maya performed cremations for deceased rulers in honor of a new dynasty’s succession

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Ornaments found with burned royal bodies in Mayan temple

Dr. Christina T. Halperin

About 1,200 years ago, the bones of several royals were burned in a Mayan city and discarded unceremoniously in the foundations of a new temple. These recently discovered ruins may represent a turbulent period in the Maya world, with violent political changes.

“When we first started excavating, we had no idea what this was,” he says. Christina Halperin at the University of Montreal. She and her colleagues made the discovery in 2022 at the Ucanal ruins in modern-day Guatemala.

Researchers found that beneath the structure of the pyramid temple, sediments were mixed with the rock. The deposit contained the bones of at least four people and thousands of ornamental fragments and beads. The bones of the two people and many of their ornaments showed signs of being burned at high temperatures.

It was clear this was no ordinary body, Halperin said. However, it was the nosepiece and obsidian eyeballs of the burial masks that revealed them as royal individuals. She says it “took forever” to sift these clues from the ashes.

Despite their apparently noble origins, the charred bodies of the royal family were not buried carefully and were “just dumped there,” Halperin said. Radiocarbon dating of the bones and ashes showed that at least one of him had died a century before his remains were burned between 773 and 881 AD. This suggests that the bones were exhumed from a previous burial and then burned.

This timing coincides with the rise of a new Ukanal leader, Papumaril, an outsider who assumed power amid the widespread dissolution of Maya society. In that context, the researchers found that the deposits were linked to the so-called “Burning Ceremony,” a Maya ritual that dramatically marked the destruction and demise of the previous dynasty and the prominence of the next. I think it may be a product. “This ritual seems to be both an act of worship and an act of destruction,” Halperin says.

simon martin Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say the discovery provides vivid physical evidence for the theory that influences from outside cultures contributed to fundamental changes in Maya society during this period. “These are our ancestors. They are our ancestors,” he says. “Doing something like this will ruin everything.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com