What plant made mortar stronger than brick?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
August 13, 2002
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killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading—>Click here.
Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.
Killer Picks: Wollemi Pine, greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century—>Click here.
Inside China, Carved Jade Chinese Necklace—>Click here.
Mongolian-style Filigree Bracelet, Marco Polo Gemstone Earrings, Marco Polo—>Click here.
The Han Dynasty fell in 220 CE. The next thousand years were marked with various dynasties and war lords. The Great Wall became patchwork. In the middle of the Thirteenth Century, Mongols under Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis, successfully conquered China establishing the Yuan Dynasty.
The Yuan Dynasty rebuilt Beijing with palaces, lakes, and parks. Kublai Khan undertook the construction of roads, waterways, and granaries. Writing and art flourished. Islam, Roman Catholicism, and Nestorianism spread into the realm. The philosophies of Buddhism and Confucianism regained favor. This was the China Marco Polo visited that earned him the name "Million Lies" when he reported the grandeur back in Italy. The Great Wall simply was not important to the Mongols.
The Mongols could not maintain their dynasty. The heirs fought among themselves and the Yuan fell when a Chinese peasant led a rebelling army against them. The Ming Dynasty captured first the southern capital Nanjing, then the northern, Beijing, driving the Mongols back.
The Ming Dynasty established maritime trade as far west as Africa, trading spices, silk, and tea. They designed high-temperature kilns and created porcelains and brick. They rebuilt the Great Wall with new technology--mortared brickwork.
The BaDaLing portion of the Great Wall winds over the mountains northwest of Beijing. The Ming did not attempt to alter the landscape, but used the steep terrain. The Wall was built to a height to 7.8 meters. It was designed to capture rainfall and funnel water to the Chinese side, effectively killing vegetation on the north side and providing a clear view of approaching armies. Ming bricks are as strong as any made today, but their mortar was even stronger. In places the brickwork failed, but the mortar stood; it was made of clay, lime, and rice flour (Oryza sativa Linnaeus).
Paul and Bernice Noll have produced a beautiful photo-essay of the Great Wall. To view the photographs, click on the link:
http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Tourism/tourist-Great-Wall-scenes-1.html
Click on the individual thumbnails to enlarge the image and read the accompanying text.
Series: | 1 | | 2 |
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
Mulberries, caterpillars, and the conquest of Asia Plants that Changed History - December 4, 2001
What two interwoven revolutions created the Sung Dynasty? Plants that Changed History - 09/04/01
How did a ban on tobacco lead to opium smoking? Plants that Changed History - October 15, 2002
How was widow spider silk vital to WWII? Renfield's Garden - August 27, 2003
Killer Savings Links:
Breck's Bulbs -$25 off—>Click here.
Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Spring Hill Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
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Inside China
National Geographic®
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China's emergence as an economic and cultural giant reigns as a key international story of our time. In an unprecedented visual tour de force, National Geographic chronicles this astonishing ascent through some of the most eye-opening, evocative, and extraordinary pictures ever recorded of the enigmatic nation, past and present.
China continues to attract global attention as the country prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2010 World's Fair.
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This unprecedented book, an integral part of National Geographic's initiative on China, will appeal to photography and history enthusiasts, as well as anyone craving a deeper cultural and historical perspective of this intriguing nation.
Click here.
Shop the National Geographic Store. All purchases support research and education.
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Carved Jade Chinese Necklace
National Geographic®
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Dangling from a 29'' strand of tigereye, Austrian crystal, leopard-skin jasper, and cloisonne beads is a beautiful piece of hand-carved jade representing the Chinese character for joy and luck.
Historically, jade was believed to have a value greater than gold or silver, and the power to protect mind and body. It has an extensive history of use in ritual ceremonies in China since 5000 B.C.
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Jade color will vary from shades of green to brown. Pendant is 2''W.
Click here.
Shop the National Geographic Store. All purchases support research and education.
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Mongolian-style Filigree Bracelet
National Geographic®
Mongolian-style filigree is a laborious, delicate jeweler's art whose lineage includes Faberge eggs and the trousseaux of Qing dynasty empresses.
Few artisans in China remain who can achieve this level of precise detail, but by adapting these time-honored techniques for modern tastes, craftsmen are able to continue making a living through this ancient art.
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Here, colorful faceted amethyst and peridot alternate within links of high-gloss enamel and intricate 24-karat gold-vermeil filigree to create an accent fit for a queen. Handmade in China. 3/4''W x 7 1/2''L.
Click here.
Shop the National Geographic Store. All purchases support research and education.
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Marco Polo Gemstone Earrings
National Geographic®
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Venetian explorer and trader Marco Polo was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road, bringing European goods to Asia and returning with, among other things, precious gems. Here, the journey is embodied in garnet, peridot, amethyst, and granulated gold vermeil.
Renaissance designer Benvenuto Cellini's work for the Medici family is adapted by Chinese jewelers using faceted gems mined in India—true fusion of three cultures.
Read more about Marco Polo's journey in Mike Edwards' 2001 series of articles for National Geographic magazine.
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3/4''W x 1 1/2''L.
Click here for price and to view other exciting products from around the world.
Shop the National Geographic Store. All purchases support research and education.
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Marco Polo
National Geographic®
In a life of ceaseless exploration, Marco Polo pushed out the borders of his narrow medieval world.
Born in Venice in 1254, the young Marco Polo first met his father at age 15, when the elder Polo returned from a trading expedition to the East. His father's tales of the court of the Kublai Khan in China ignited a lifelong passion for adventure.
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For ages 8 to 12 Hardcover © 2006
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More about Marco Polo
The Polos set out for China in 1271, traveling through the Middle East, across the Gobi Desert, to Khanbaliq in China. The journey took four years. Kublai Khan took a great liking to Marco Polo, employing him as a spy throughout his vast empire. Marco traveled and observed the cultures of Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and India in this capacity. His notes later became one of the world's great travel books, The Description of the World.
The Kid's Shop from National Geographic!
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Wollemi Pine
National Geographic®
This survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.
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Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area.
Click here to view canyon, trees and fossil record.
You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening. Can also be used as a landscape tree in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7, which includes New England, the Midatlantic states, and much of the Midwest.
Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Tree will be approximately 8"H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research.
Click here to get your Wollemi Pine and assist in the conservation effort.
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National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic®
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You are invited to roam the world in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Explore the diversity of our planet's lands and inhabitants in compelling stories covering topics such as animals, nature, science, technology, culture, history, travel, adventure, exploration, and geography. The monthly National Geographic magazine is your key benefit of membership.
Additional benefits include:
- As many as five wall map supplements throughout the year in issues of the magazine
- A personalized Membership Certificate
- Special discounts on selected products
- The opportunity to examine special Society products free in your home before deciding to purchase
- The privilege of traveling the world with the Society's educational travel tour programs
- The satisfaction of supporting important research, conservation, education, and exploration projects
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Join the Society and bring the adventure of National Geographic into your home!
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