315
Ancient China from Above
Archaeologists and technical experts develop 3D models using drones, multispectral cameras, lidar, and other cutting edge technology, which provided new insights to better understand ancient Chinese civilizations.National Geographic, Ancient China From Above, 2020Sources：
https://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/ancient-china-from-above
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV13f4y1Q7qa?p=1
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV13f4y1Q7qa?p=2
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV13f4y1Q7qa?p=3
Since 2013, National Geographic has been producing "from above" documentary series on various countries around the world, such as the two-episode documentary "China from above" in 2015 and the second season of "China from above " in 2018. This year, National Geographic is releasing the latest in its "from above" series of documentaries on India, Ancient China, Egypt and Europe. "Ancient China from above" premiered in early September this year. Allan Maca, an American archaeologist and expert on ancient civilizations, and his team travel to some of China's most ancient and spectacular archaeological sites, using the latest satellite technology, drones, aerial cinematography, LIDAR, 3D modeling and other technologies to lift the veil of modern development, bringing China's distant ancient world to life, revealing hidden ruins, recreating how early cities or civilizational sites were formed, reconstructing what human eyes can't see.
The series tackles astonishing new archaeological findings from above and scours the largest manmade structure on Earth in Secrets of the Great Wall; explores Kublai Khan's legendary lost city in inner Mongolia in Mysteries of Xanadu; and reveals a newly discovered megacity from 4,000 years ago that was one of the largest on the planet and whose inhabitants created amazing Maya-like carvings and practiced human sacrifice on an unprecedented scale in China's Pompeii.Secrets of the Great Wall
Dr. Allan Maca explored the Great Wall from the rugged Jinshanling in Luanping, Chengde, Hebei, which is the best-preserved section of the Ming Great Wall. Satellite data show how the wall crosses seemingly impossible peaks, and there is a huge stone structure every few hundred feet. During the Ming Dynasty, about 25,000 watchtowers were built. Exquisite fortifications exist between these towers are used to resist invasion by outsiders.
Now six hundred years have passed, Chinese experts are trying to reveal its secrets with science and technology. The scientific research team from Tianjin University are using drone data to create a 3D model of the entire Ming dynasty wall. The new scans reveal the incredible achievements of the Ming in some of China's most extreme terrain. Then it turns out that the base arches, which were thought to be built for scouts, are actually tunnels for launching attacks. This is actually a hidden door, behind which soldiers could break the door brick and launch attacks.
The next question is, how far does the Great Wall extend? We can find answers in satellite images. The Ming Great Wall starts from the mountains, goes through the prairie, enters the barren desert, and stops in a desolate territory. Here a grand fortress rises from the ground, which is the so-called Jiayuguan, also known as "the first pass under heaven". It demonstrates the ambition of emperors, engineering accomplishments and tremendous strength in the Ming Dynasty.
Until we had images from space, experts didn't know how massive the Ming dynasty great wall really was. But now Chinese experts have calculated it's 5,500 miles long. That's over 1,500 miles more than previously thought. and long enough to stretch from New York to Los Angeles, and all the way back again. But new technology is also unearthing secrets that take us beyond the great empire of the Ming. This wall stretches far beyond the main fortress, continuing west for hundreds of miles. In fact, the research team proved that this section of the Great Wall was built in the Han Dynasty. Reed is used as the base layer, above which are layers of rammed earth. Such an ingenious construction method overcomes the harsh environment and construction conditions. This is the Great Wall in an earlier period, but two-thousand-year erosion from the desert sand only left it with ruined walls. Using historical sources and archaeological evidence, they've made this pretty phenomenal digital reconstruction of what the wall might have looked like. The scientific research team found Wuzhu coin of the Han Dynasty around the ruins, which indicates that the Great Wall is not only for protecting the country, but also for protecting China’s important channel for global trade, the "Silk Road". As for the high platforms that stretch for hundreds of kilometers inside and outside the city wall, they assume the role of watchtowers and beacon towers.
The Han Dynasty achieved remarkable achievements, but it was not the first one to build a defensive wall to protect the country. Instead, the origin of the Great Wall could be dated back to the Qin Dynasty. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, build the first Great Wall in the north, stretching nearly 3,200 kilometers. And in the period of the Warring States, the seven powerful states contended for hegemony, and the vassals set up a separatist regime by force of arms. In 221 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang launched a war and annexed other countries. Afterwards, he connected the remaining defensive walls of the seven powerful states and hence created a massive defensive wall of 4,800 kilometers. This is the first Great Wall in the true sense of China, which extended to Han The Dynasty and Ming Dynasty and then became the Great Wall of today. It's not one wall, but many that evolved over the centuries into an astonishing military masterpiece.
By using the latest satellite imagery and cutting edge technology, Chinese archaeologists are revealing that this world icon is even greater than we ever imagined. The vivid and lively Great Wall, which spans over two thousand years, is the fruit of struggle and efforts. It's not just an enduring symbol of ancient China. It's the story of China itself.In search of Marco Polo’s Xanadu"There at this place is a very fine marble palace, the rooms of which are all gilt and painted with figures of men and beasts and birds all executed with such exquisite art that you will regard them with delight and astonishment."Marco Polo writes. What he's talking about here is the great fabled city of Kublai Khan, Xanadu.It is hardly possible to find something among the remains of the ruins and mounds. But from space, 500 miles up, the shape of this lost city is revealed. Researchers used high tech sensors on drones to conduct a whole new survey of central Xanadu. On this basis, a detailed and comprehensive 3D model of everything above the ground, which even allows every slight bump on the ground to be clearly presented.
In 1251, Kublai Khan took charge of what today, is Inner Mongolia. He was determined to establish a new dynasty that he'd call the Yuan, defeat the Southern Song, and bring all of China under his rule as one all-powerful emperor. But first he needed a secure base from which to unleash his campaign. The city of Xanadu was born.
These infrared satellite images, combined with Chinese archaeological evidence and historical records, reveal the whole walled city of sanity in stunning detail, not just its palaces, but hundreds of buildings, courtyards, and compounds, defensive towers, and grand gateways. This is an incredible city. This tough nomadic culture is the world that Kublai Khan came from.
Here is another mystery, where is the building with a golden roof and lacquered pillars described by Marco Polo? Allan Maca found the answer when he helped herders build a ger. His Mongol roots may explain Marco Polo's most vivid descriptions. Circular like a ger, with a varnish golden roof made of bamboo canes. It would’ve been supported by lacquered and gilded pillars decorated with dragons, and stood as high as a 10 story building. The golden-roofed imperial ger, really was a temporary structure with no permanent base, in true nomadic Mongol style. In fact, the scope of Xanadu even stretched far beyond its city walls. Outside every city wall is a vast suburb, and evidence shows the existence of military barracks, markets, and guest houses. By scanning and calculating the granary, it is estimated that more than 200,000 people lived in the city at the time.
It's incredible that Kublai Khan, as a hereditary mongol emperor, is using ancient Chinese principles to design his city. In building a permanent walled city, with the square concentric walls and central palace area, a hunting ground and imperial-sized ger, Kublai Khan was embracing his Mongol roots and Han Chinese culture. The legendary Chinese adviser of Kublai Khan supposedly said to him, "Look, you can conquer a land by horseback, but you can't administer a land by horseback". Embracing both cultures was Kublai Khan's key to success. And this plan began right here with Xanadu. By design, Xanadu was a melting pot where different people's philosophies and religions all came together. In 1260, Kublai Khan’s new capital Xanadu became one of the most important cities on earth.
Kublai Khan could launch his master plan to conquer all of China. Kublai khan was named the next great Khan, with power over Mongol Khanates that now reached from today's far eastern Russia, all the way west to Turkey and Ukraine. But, he still needed to conquer the Southern Song dynasty. To achieve his goal, he planned another city, a second capital closer to the Chinese heartland，which is Dadu, known as Beijing.
From Dadu, Kublai khan could strike out south and by 1279, he'd achieved his goal. For the first time in over 350 years, the nation was reunited. Under his reign, China thrived. He extended trade routes to reach half way around the globe, and poured resources into China's infrastructure, making its Grand Canal the longest anywhere in the world. With Dadu, he'd laid the foundations for what is today, one of the greatest cities on earth. And it all started with the wonder of Xanadu.
In Shaanxi of China, the province 300 miles west of Beijing, one can find a barren wasteland, which is exactly the Loess Plateau and also the site of the Shimao. A 4000-year-old citadel, at the heart of a lost ancient kingdom, Shimao, may have been the biggest city of its time anywhere on the entire planet. Before the archaeological discovery, Shimao was just a hill full of weeds. The only sign of anything man-made was a simple line of rocks. Archaeologists initially thought it was part of the Great Wall, but subsequent excavations dispelled the idea. The stone wall predates the earliest fortifications of the Great Wall by 2,000 years. In other words, Shimao ruins are now more than 4,000 years old. From the latest excavation data, we can recreate what Shimao might have looked like 4000 years ago.A series of stone platforms with restricted access to each higher level. Right at the top, the palaces of the city's rulers. There's clearly a defined hierarchy here. In this huge structure, this palace dominates the entire area. The 3D reconstruction clearly brings out the remains of a city wall that follows the ridgeline. In all 6 miles of these walls have been identified hidden in this landscape. They Mark out an enclosed inner city. And an additional ring of outer wall surrounds a thousand-acre site, an area the size of about 200 New York city blocks. That means that 4000 years ago, this could have been the biggest city on the planet. The scale of this place is unprecedented. Everything about Shimao is more advanced much earlier and far bigger than anyone thought possible.
Archaeologists have dated artifacts found here to between 4,300 and 3,800 years ago. This means that after 500 years of occupation, the entire city of Shimao seems to be abandoned. By comparing with other ruins, Dr. Allan Maca ruled out earthquakes, landslides，flood，wars, and other factors that destroyed other ancient civilizations. In the end, he considered climate change as the best explanation for the demise of Shimao. The recent analysis reveals that when Shimao was at its peak, it was much warmer and wetter. But 3,800 years ago, just when the city declined, the monsoon weather patterns changed abruptly. This area became drier and colder. Climate change evidence makes perfect sense. That sudden climate change transformed this region into a cold semi-desert, ravaging the civilization with famine and drought. The people of Shimao deserted their once great city, leaving it to disappear beneath the windblown silt lost for millennia.
Right now, all across China, cutting edge archaeology is uncovering an entirely new chapter in the story of human civilization. These lost cultures have struggled to survive in the face of earthquakes and landslides, floods, warlike catastrophes, with the power to destroy. It's a reminder that great empires rise and can be wiped out again in the blink of an eye. But what they've left behind has laid the foundations for all the wonders to come.CityReads ∣Notes On Cities"CityReads", a subscription account on WeChat,
posts our notes on city reads weekly.
Please follow us by searching "CityReads"