Posted on 03/02/2015 6:57:05 AM PST by SunkenCiv
About forty kilometres south of Cairo, close to the town of Helwan, lie the ruins of the Sadd-el-Kafara ( = "dam of the Pagans"), an embankment dam of great size built around 2700-2600 BC, discovered over 100 years ago in the old, deep and dry Garawi ravine. The masonry-faced earthen dam originally measured 14 m height and 113 m length along the crest and is considered today the oldest dam of such size known in the world.
The primal aim of the dam was to retain the water from rare but violent floods. It could also ensure water to workers and animals working in exploration of stone and marble in the nearby quarries, for the construction of the pyramids and the temples. Never completed, the dam had been under construction for 10-12 years before being destroyed by a flood. It was rediscovered by Georg Schweinfurth in 1885.
Its great size indicates the dam engineers were not doing experimental work, but they built it in a very systematic way. Its construction took place in the era when the Egyptian kings built their pyramids on the other bank of River Nile. There exist similarities between the stone walls of the pyramids and the dam. And still there are many questions that revolve around Garawi valley Dam.
Strangely, despite its importance, and the fact that it remains intact today, the dam is ignored by tourist agencies. Even visitors interested in archaeology of Egypt do not usually include it in their plan of visits. Moreover, although the dam has been discovered already since the late 19th century, it has not been adequately studied yet.
(Excerpt) Read more at hydriaproject.net ...
People once took pride in what they built and were directly connected with what the did. Now corporate millionaires in high rise towers plan projects far away, get their big contracts, often from the government, and only care that they not get caught doing something flagrantly dishonest. Remember the term “planned obsolescence”. The goal is to make everything good enough to sell, but weak enough to wear out quickly and continue the make, sell, make money, get rich, hire low paid workers (often overseas), and repeat the cycle as these things wear out much quicker than in the old days. Your see it on a small scale in the fashion industry where every year there has to be a new style so the industry can survive. If you did not tear down perfectly good old buildings, how would construction companies stay in business.
I first became aware of the failure of modern items as my clothing began to come apart at the seams. Modern thread was not holding up as well as older thread. At first I thought this might be part of planned obsolescence, but then got a surprising clue. I read that thatchers in England (the guys who put straw on roofs, not the PM), were complaining that straw raised with chemical fertilizers only lasted about 5 years. Older organically raised straw lasts about 10 years. So I concluded that cotton thread, which is now grown with a lot of chemicals, probably has the same problem. Now, if I sew or mend, I only use synthetic thread; clothes last longer. So it appears that both deliberate and accidental forces are both at work.
That's interesting about the thatching. I'm wondering if it's also more flammable.
I recall reading about a Roman-era bridge still in use in Spain; years later found out that it has been rebuilt in the 20th century, mostly was standing, but couldn’t be used.
That one got piled up higher and higher, without anything like what he’d call engineering studies, in order to retain ever-more water. And that didn’t work out, it finally let go, and was never rebuilt. The dam failure was prior to the birth of the Big Old Mo, 6th c AD, construction was by the Nabataeans (or, others) in the 6th c BC., so it stood in some form for over 1000 years. Not too shab’.
http://nabataea.net/marib.html
Hollis Mulwray should have studied them more as well.
I was talking to a gal that lives in a new condo downtown. She said it is really nice with all the anemities, sharp styling, etc., but not built well. Hinges already going bad, varnish wearing, etc.
She said “It reminds me of something I would buy at IKEA.”
I remember 'liberating' no small number of those unfortunate fishies from their bondage to the State of Missouri, in my youth. My maternal grandmother and her second husband had a house on the shores of Kinkaid Cove, in Camden County. My brothers and I took turns in spending summers there...
the infowarrior
It’s ironic the dam was destroyed by one of the floods it was built to contain.
Wife’s people owned property down here before the dam. They knew the dam was coming and bet on having a long lake front piece. Along a section of this were cabins, all friends of grandpa.
This 160 acre, 4,000 foot frontage parcel was sold last year. The new owner plans a 16,000 sq foot house and a free standing garage.
Well nobody likes to pay the government to do things, but on the other hand, without state fishing and hunting licenses, how would the fish restocking, picking up road kill, removal of invasive species of plant and animal, maintenance of dams and shorelines, etc. get paid for?
Regarding fire resistance of organic thatch, I suspect there would be little or no difference. Glad your home is a keeper.
Don't disagree there, at all...
the infowarrior
It would also be ironic if it had been soft water. ;’)
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