 |
-- construction continued --
Walls
The body of the wall was the key part of the defensive system.
It usually stood 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) wide at the base and 19
feet (5.8 meters) at the top, with an average height of 23 to 26
feet (7 to 8 meters), or a bit lower on steep hills. The structure
of the wall varied from place to place, depending on the availability
of building materials. Walls were made of tamped earth sandwiched
between wooden boards, adobe bricks, a brick and stone mixture,
rocks, or pilings and planks.
In the western deserts the walls were often simple structures of
rammed earth and adobe; many eastern ramparts, such as those near
Badaling, were faced with stone and included a number of
secondary structures and devices. On the inner side of such walls,
placed at small intervals, were arched doors called chuan doors,
which were made of bricks or stones. Inside each chuan were
stone or brick steps leading to the top of the battlement.  On
the top, on the side facing the enemy, stood 7-foot- (2-metre-)
high crenels called duo-kou. On the upper part of the duo-kou
were large openings used to watch and shoot at attackers, and on
the lower part were small openings, or loopholes, through which
defenders could also shoot. At an interval of every 650 to 980 feet
(200 to 300 meters) there was a platform. Platforms were of three.
Platforms
One type was a relatively low platform with walls on the
four sides, which were either crenelated or embrasure for the shooting
of arrows.
A second type was the watchtower, generally
two-storeyed and built of bricks. The lower floor could be supported
by two, four or six arches, with the walls on the four sides embrasure
for shooting purposes. The arched rooms provided lodging for
the soldiers and were also used for the storage of food and fodder,
arms and gunpowder. The upper and lower floors were linked by
stairs or by a shaft, in which case the soldiers had to go up and
down by a rope ladder. The upper floor had crenels and embrasures
for watching and shooting at the enemy, and in some cases had a
couple of rooms where the guards could stay or beat the watches
with a clapper, light a signal torch or be on the lookout for enemy
movements.
The third type was the blockhouse. It could have a square
or round shape. It was always built on precipitous terrain and well
furnished with arms, ammunition and other supplies for military
action
Continued...........
 
|
 |
