User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Of Walls and Wheels

  1. #1
    Points: 100,746, Level: 77
    Level completed: 31%, Points required for next Level: 1,804
    Overall activity: 9.0%
    Achievements:
    SocialYour first Group50000 Experience PointsVeteran
    IMPress Polly's Avatar Senior Member
    Karma
    156220
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Vermont, USA
    Posts
    8,575
    Points
    100,746
    Level
    77
    Thanks Given
    10,232
    Thanked 7,643x in 4,358 Posts
    Mentioned
    634 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Of Walls and Wheels

    Now that we're out of the government shutdown insanity and time has passed, I've got to get a couple things out there that have been bothering me as a history teacher ever since.

    1) The Democrats spent much of that episode claiming walls to be "medieval". Actually, the oldest walls found in existence so far are those of the Temple of Gobekli Tepe in Urfa, southeast Turkey, which date to 11,500 years ago, i.e. to ancient history, NOT the Middle Ages.

    2) "The wheel is older than the wall", Trump often countered. Actually, while the oldest walls we know of date back 11,500 years (as just pointed out), the oldest wheels we know of date back roughly 5,150 years. They were found in Mesopotamia and, incidentally, weren't used for transportation.

    That few people in the news media bothered to correct either of the aforementioned erroneous claims about the history of walls and wheels has bothered me ever since, as a bit of a history person. There. I feel better now.

  2. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to IMPress Polly For This Useful Post:

    alexa (04-01-2019),DGUtley (04-01-2019),Peter1469 (04-01-2019)

  3. #2
    Points: 665,303, Level: 100
    Level completed: 0%, Points required for next Level: 0
    Overall activity: 84.0%
    Achievements:
    SocialRecommendation Second ClassYour first GroupOverdrive50000 Experience PointsTagger First ClassVeteran
    Awards:
    Discussion Ender
    Chris's Avatar Senior Member
    Karma
    433316
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    197,554
    Points
    665,303
    Level
    100
    Thanks Given
    31,984
    Thanked 80,905x in 54,720 Posts
    Mentioned
    2011 Post(s)
    Tagged
    2 Thread(s)
    Media is no longer about reporting facts but taking sides on agendas.
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to Chris For This Useful Post:

    ODB (04-01-2019)

  5. #3
    Original Ranter
    Points: 859,122, Level: 100
    Level completed: 0%, Points required for next Level: 0
    Overall activity: 90.0%
    Achievements:
    SocialCreated Album picturesOverdrive50000 Experience PointsVeteran
    Awards:
    Posting Award
    Peter1469's Avatar Advisor
    Karma
    496581
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    NOVA
    Posts
    241,700
    Points
    859,122
    Level
    100
    Thanks Given
    153,223
    Thanked 147,591x in 94,420 Posts
    Mentioned
    2552 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by IMPress Polly View Post
    Now that we're out of the government shutdown insanity and time has passed, I've got to get a couple things out there that have been bothering me as a history teacher ever since.

    1) The Democrats spent much of that episode claiming walls to be "medieval". Actually, the oldest walls found in existence so far are those of the Temple of Gobekli Tepe in Urfa, southeast Turkey, which date to 11,500 years ago, i.e. to ancient history, NOT the Middle Ages.

    2) "The wheel is older than the wall", Trump often countered. Actually, while the oldest walls we know of date back 11,500 years (as just pointed out), the oldest wheels we know of date back roughly 5,150 years. They were found in Mesopotamia and, incidentally, weren't used for transportation.

    That few people in the news media bothered to correct either of the aforementioned erroneous claims about the history of walls and wheels has bothered me ever since, as a bit of a history person. There. I feel better now.
    I believed I mentioned the same thing at the time.
    ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ


  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Peter1469 For This Useful Post:

    IMPress Polly (04-01-2019)

  7. #4
    Original Ranter
    Points: 297,710, Level: 100
    Level completed: 0%, Points required for next Level: 0
    Overall activity: 41.0%
    Achievements:
    SocialRecommendation Second ClassOverdrive50000 Experience PointsVeteran
    Mister D's Avatar Senior Member
    Karma
    416530
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    117,870
    Points
    297,710
    Level
    100
    Thanks Given
    25,302
    Thanked 53,475x in 36,449 Posts
    Mentioned
    1102 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter1469 View Post
    I believed I mentioned the same thing at the time.
    In their defense, they must have meant walls in the sense of fortifications the sole purpose of which is to impede or prevent access. They probably described walls as "Medieval" because simpletons use that term to label what they don't like as backward.

    That said, it's still pretty stupid. Human beings used walls for millennia because they work.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


    ~Alain de Benoist


  8. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Mister D For This Useful Post:

    Captdon (04-02-2019),Peter1469 (04-02-2019)

  9. #5
    Points: 100,746, Level: 77
    Level completed: 31%, Points required for next Level: 1,804
    Overall activity: 9.0%
    Achievements:
    SocialYour first Group50000 Experience PointsVeteran
    IMPress Polly's Avatar Senior Member
    Karma
    156220
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Vermont, USA
    Posts
    8,575
    Points
    100,746
    Level
    77
    Thanks Given
    10,232
    Thanked 7,643x in 4,358 Posts
    Mentioned
    634 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Media is no longer about reporting facts but taking sides on agendas.
    They should've looked up the oranges!

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts