02-06-2025
200-mile-long Gobi Wall in Mongolia had a function far beyond defense: Study
A new study investigated the Gobi Wall, the least understood section of the Medieval Wall System. Built by a nomadic empire, researchers discovered an architectural achievement that reflected its dynamism.
Study authors described the Medieval Wall System (MWS) as 'one of the most extensive and enigmatic architectural features in East Asia. " The MWS is a network of walls, trenches, and enclosures. Stretching over 2,485 miles across China, Mongolia, and Russia, the Gobi Wall is a 200-mile section in Mongolia's arid highland deserts.
The latest research published in Land is part of The Wall Project, funded by the European Research Council. Archaeologists have explored different sections of this wall that different empires built between the 10th and 13th centuries CE. The Gobi Wall was the most notable architectural achievement.
An international team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Yale University used remote sensing, pedestrian surveys, and targeted excavations to determine the Gobi Wall's origins, maker, and function.
"The main goals of this research are to better understand the construction techniques used in building the walls, garrisons, and fortifications; to date their construction and periods of use; and to determine the purposes for which they were built. We also aim to situate this particular section within its broader environmental context and in relation to medieval Inner Asian political and economic dynamics," study authors explained.
The Xi Xia primarily constructed it with rammed earth, stone, and timber. The materials alone communicate the sophisticated planning and logistical systems in place, as the location was so remote.
The Xi Xia capitalized on the topography when building this complex wall of watchtowers, forts, trenches, and garrisons. Due to their proximity to water and wood, they were situated on elevated platforms such as mountain passes and sand dunes. At Garrisons G05 and G10, archaeologists unearthed ceramics, coins, and animal remains, indicating a much earlier occupation of the site 2,000 years ago.
Most significantly, however, the Gobi Wall held a function beyond defense, challenging commonly held assumptions about nomadic populations.
'This settlement stability, despite harsh desert conditions, challenges prevailing assumptions that nomadic populations in this region were highly mobile, lacked permanent structures, and did not invest in fixed territorial markers or infrastructure. Instead, the evidence suggests substantial investment in territorial control,' study authors said.
Though the Gobi Wall was a permanent structure, it was far from a static wall. It played a multifunctional role as an imperial tool for demarcating boundaries, managing populations and resources, and consolidating territorial control.
The Xi Xia was a Tangut-led empire, a Sino-Tibetan people who ruled Western China and Southern Mongolia. They extended the wall during a geopolitical shift, when they had to strengthen their defenses and better manage their territory.
According to Archaeology Mag, they hadn't anticipated the wall's greater complexity. The wall was so much more than a line of defense. Researchers described it as zones of control and interaction with dynamic infrastructures that could shift according to their needs.
The Gobi Wall has risen to become one of the premier examples of its kind in China, offering 'substantial new insight into medieval frontier management strategies and architectural practices in Inner Asia,' the study authors concluded.
Read the study in Land.
