The Ancient Construction Materials and Methods: The Great Wall of China in Jinshanling as a Case Study

Abstract

The Jinshanling section of the Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications in northern China that was constructed for strategic military defenses. This section was first built in the beginning of the Ming Dynasty in AD 1368 and then underwent major construction, reconstruction and renovation during the late Ming Dynasty, approximately in AD 1569. The Jinshanling section is 10.5 km long, a very short section compared with the entire 21,200 km wall. The wall section is located in Luanping County, Hebei province, China. This research paper focuses on the construction methods and materials of the wall and the towers in the area. The research methodology includes site visits, knowledge acquisition of experts and 3D graphic modeling. This study reveals that the materials selected for the structure include rubbles and rammed earth, bricks, stones, timber, and mortar. The erection sequence of the wall and the towers was a bottom-up fashion using various ancient construction techniques, such as the fire-setting rock blasting techniques and the surveying techniques from the Sea Island Mathematical Manual.