How do ancient buildings survive hundreds of years of natural disasters e.g. earthquakes?
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Ideally they are located in a region with few earthquakes and/or have not been subjected to severe earthquakes during their lifespan.
Many ancient buildings did fail to earthquakes, just we mostly don’t see them because their remains were salvaged into new buildings.
There have also been modern day instances of major earthquakes hitting regions with ancient buildings in them for the first time since many of them were built. Many fail.
Of those that survive – these buildings often have a lot of redundancy in them due to the nature of construction techniques and materials when they were built. Eg lots of walls that are also fairly thick. This eats up usable space inside pretty fast but can give these structures a sporting chance of surviving earthquakes.
As others have said, mostly luck and survivorship bias.
In particular, there are some ancient buildings that are made of particularly tough materials. That basically means rock.
Once you cut a rock into some shape it takes a long time for that shape to change from just natural erosion. Giant piles of rocks don’t tend to move around much either.
So the Pyramids at Giza, Stonehenge, the Great Wall, etc. have some pieces crack off and get a little weathered around the edges. All the structures made of things like wood, straw, skins, etc rotted away centuries ago.
It’s not “the ancient buildings” it’s the ridiculously overpriced and overengineered ancient buildings. Regular buildings didn’t even survive the non-natural disaster level elements
It’s not “the ancient buildings” it’s the ridiculously overpriced and overengineered ancient buildings. Regular buildings didn’t even survive the non-natural disaster level elements
It’s not “the ancient buildings” it’s the ridiculously overpriced and overengineered ancient buildings. Regular buildings didn’t even survive the non-natural disaster level elements
You build lots of buildings. The ones that are destroyed by earthquakes and whatnot disappear; and all that’s left are ones in places not hit by disasters. Repeat, and you get thousands of structures out of millions built that survived to modern day — sort of real estate survival of the fittest.
The buildings aren’t the result of special engineering so much as they were lucky enough to be placed where they are so they didn’t get destroyed.
Survivor bias. Damn near all, like 99.99999999999999% of ancient buildings did not survive time alone, let alone disasters.
If you’re asking how those that did survive did it: Heavy sturdy materials that aren’t fastened. As in gravity holds it together, rather than being designed to withstand gravity. You are just used to our modern way of doing things as cheap as possible with better engineering.
If you want more can you give a specific example of which structure? Each structure usually has its own engineering problems and solutions.
You build lots of buildings. The ones that are destroyed by earthquakes and whatnot disappear; and all that’s left are ones in places not hit by disasters. Repeat, and you get thousands of structures out of millions built that survived to modern day — sort of real estate survival of the fittest.
The buildings aren’t the result of special engineering so much as they were lucky enough to be placed where they are so they didn’t get destroyed.
You build lots of buildings. The ones that are destroyed by earthquakes and whatnot disappear; and all that’s left are ones in places not hit by disasters. Repeat, and you get thousands of structures out of millions built that survived to modern day — sort of real estate survival of the fittest.
The buildings aren’t the result of special engineering so much as they were lucky enough to be placed where they are so they didn’t get destroyed.
Survivor bias. Damn near all, like 99.99999999999999% of ancient buildings did not survive time alone, let alone disasters.
If you’re asking how those that did survive did it: Heavy sturdy materials that aren’t fastened. As in gravity holds it together, rather than being designed to withstand gravity. You are just used to our modern way of doing things as cheap as possible with better engineering.
If you want more can you give a specific example of which structure? Each structure usually has its own engineering problems and solutions.
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