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Top 5 Most Amazing Feats of Ancient Engineering

TOP MOST AMAZING FEATS 5 OF ANCIENT ENGINEERING WANT TO BUILD A GIANT STONE STRUCTURE? THAT'S NO PROBLEM THANKS TO TODAY'S HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND MODERN BUILDING PRACTICES. BUT IMAGINE THE WORK THAT WENT INTO BUILDING SOME OF THE ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD! GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA Built: 2584-2561 BC Where: Giza Necropolis, Egypt Does it still exist: Yes One of three pyramids in Giza, it is believed to have been a tomb for Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. It took about 20 years to build the massive structure, the main in a complex setting of buildings that also includes two mortuary temples that honor Khufu. At 481 feet tall, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years (still don't know how the Egyptians were able to build the pyramids) ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM Built: About 2nd century BC Where: Unknown (found near Greece) Does it still exist: Yes The most complex device ever discovered from the ancient world, the Antikythera mechanism for years stumped the scientific community. It's now known the device is dedicated to astronomical phenomena and operates as a complex mechanical "computer" that tracks the cycles of the solar system. Discovered by divers near Greece more than a century ago, a team of researchers is still working to fully assess the function and significance of this shockingly sophisticated device. GREAT WALL OF CHINA Built: Started in 7th century BC Where: China (but built in individual Chinese states, most that weren't unified) Does it still exist: Yes There are actually three Great Walls, the longest of which was built during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). The wall we see today was largely built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), though some portions of the Han wall and Qin Dynasty wall still exist. The complete wall stretches about 10,000 miles. Throughout Chinese history, more than 20 states and dynasties built their own walls. In many places, the wall is actually three parallel walls meant to further gird the cities against attackers. STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA Built: 432 BC O Where: Greece Does it still exist: No; it was damaged in a 170 BC earthquake, likely was stripped in the 4th century and reportedly destroyed in a fire in 475 AD Sculptor Phidias had already rendered a 40-foot-high statue of the goddess Athena for Athens' Parthenon, but the 12-year project to create Zeus' likeness was to be considered his best work. When finished, the statue was 22 feet wide and 40 feet tall; that's more than twice Abraham Lincoln's height in his famous memorial. The statue's throne was made from gold, ebony and ivory and inlaid with precious stones. BANAUE RICE TERRACES Built: 1st century AD |Where: Pre-colonial Philippines Does it still exist: Yes Passed from generation to generation and most likely constructed by hand originally, the terraces, which take up about 4,000 square miles of mountainside, reflect a mastery of engineering that is impressive even today. Reaching a higher altitude and being built on steeper slopes than many other terraces, the complex had stone or mud walls. The carving of the natural contours of hills and mountains made terraced pond fields, which, coupled with the development of intricate irrigation systems, harvested water from the forests of the mountain tops. SOURCE: UNESCO Engineering-Management.Net TOP MOST AMAZING FEATS 5 OF ANCIENT ENGINEERING WANT TO BUILD A GIANT STONE STRUCTURE? THAT'S NO PROBLEM THANKS TO TODAY'S HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND MODERN BUILDING PRACTICES. BUT IMAGINE THE WORK THAT WENT INTO BUILDING SOME OF THE ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD! GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA Built: 2584-2561 BC Where: Giza Necropolis, Egypt Does it still exist: Yes One of three pyramids in Giza, it is believed to have been a tomb for Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. It took about 20 years to build the massive structure, the main in a complex setting of buildings that also includes two mortuary temples that honor Khufu. At 481 feet tall, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years (still don't know how the Egyptians were able to build the pyramids) ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM Built: About 2nd century BC Where: Unknown (found near Greece) Does it still exist: Yes The most complex device ever discovered from the ancient world, the Antikythera mechanism for years stumped the scientific community. It's now known the device is dedicated to astronomical phenomena and operates as a complex mechanical "computer" that tracks the cycles of the solar system. Discovered by divers near Greece more than a century ago, a team of researchers is still working to fully assess the function and significance of this shockingly sophisticated device. GREAT WALL OF CHINA Built: Started in 7th century BC Where: China (but built in individual Chinese states, most that weren't unified) Does it still exist: Yes There are actually three Great Walls, the longest of which was built during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). The wall we see today was largely built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), though some portions of the Han wall and Qin Dynasty wall still exist. The complete wall stretches about 10,000 miles. Throughout Chinese history, more than 20 states and dynasties built their own walls. In many places, the wall is actually three parallel walls meant to further gird the cities against attackers. STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA Built: 432 BC O Where: Greece Does it still exist: No; it was damaged in a 170 BC earthquake, likely was stripped in the 4th century and reportedly destroyed in a fire in 475 AD Sculptor Phidias had already rendered a 40-foot-high statue of the goddess Athena for Athens' Parthenon, but the 12-year project to create Zeus' likeness was to be considered his best work. When finished, the statue was 22 feet wide and 40 feet tall; that's more than twice Abraham Lincoln's height in his famous memorial. The statue's throne was made from gold, ebony and ivory and inlaid with precious stones. BANAUE RICE TERRACES Built: 1st century AD |Where: Pre-colonial Philippines Does it still exist: Yes Passed from generation to generation and most likely constructed by hand originally, the terraces, which take up about 4,000 square miles of mountainside, reflect a mastery of engineering that is impressive even today. Reaching a higher altitude and being built on steeper slopes than many other terraces, the complex had stone or mud walls. The carving of the natural contours of hills and mountains made terraced pond fields, which, coupled with the development of intricate irrigation systems, harvested water from the forests of the mountain tops. SOURCE: UNESCO Engineering-Management.Net

Top 5 Most Amazing Feats of Ancient Engineering

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Want to build a giant stone structure? That's no problem thanks to today's heavy equipment and modern building practices. But imagine the work that went into building some of the engineering wonders o...

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