18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Mysterious Mongolian Arc in Eastern Mongolia Studied for the First Time

Researchers have studied the 405-km wall system in eastern Mongolia known as the Mongolian Arc to learn more about its history and purpose. The “Mongolian Arc” consists of an earthen wall, a trench, and 34 structures.

This section of the Great Wall of China that extends into Mongolia has been analyzed for the first time, allowing them to present some speculative insights into the history and function of this enormous structure.

Running roughly parallel to the border between China and Mongolia, the ancient barrier extends from Sukhbaatar Province to Dornod Province in northeastern Mongolia, where winter temperatures often fall as low as -25 degrees Celsius (-13 degrees Fahrenheit).

Based on historical records, researchers suggest that the entire system was built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD, but archaeological studies to date are insufficient to more accurately date the construction times of its different parts.

The study authors analyzed the wall and its associated structures using satellite images, Chinese atlases, and Soviet maps in addition to direct field observations, noting that “the Mongolian Arc, despite its magnitude, has been largely overlooked in existing academic discourse.”

In their paper published in the Journal of Field Archaeology, the team describes the techniques and technology they used to study the wall.

Researchers’ most striking finding was that the Mongolian Arc contains numerous large gaps, suggesting that it was built in a hurry and therefore never fully fortified. There is also evidence that suggests the wall was built as a means of controlling the movement of people or animals or perhaps as a part of a taxation scheme.

“One possible explanation for the gaps, which were points of vulnerability in the system, is that the Mongolian Arc was hastily built during the final years of the Jin dynasty as a defense against the expected invading Mongol armies,” write the researchers.

Such theories arose as it became clear that the wall would not have served as much of a barrier—many of its outposts, for example, were in locations with limited views into the surrounding territory.

The entire wall system to which the Mongolian Arc belongs has received different names in the research literature. It has been called the “Jin border trench”, the “Jin long wall,” and the “Liao-Jin Wall”.

It is also one of the most enigmatic long wall and trench systems in Chinese and Mongolian history. Despite its size and complexity, it is unclear when it was constructed, who built it, and for what purpose.

It is not even clear whether the entire array of walls was built at the same time or if, as researchers hypothesize, it is an accumulation of different projects built over a long period of time.

Researchers believe the Mongolian Arc has received much less attention than other long wall (or Great Wall) constructions in the history of this region, possibly due to the uncertainties associated with its construction and use, the fact that it is located in remote areas, and the fact that it is not visually impressive.

The study authors are currently unable to make any definitive statements regarding the purpose of the Mongolian Arc, although they are planning to conduct more extensive excavations of some of the structures in an upcoming field season. This, they hope, will help them to determine the wall’s “construction dates and duration of use, and shed light on the activities of the people stationed in these enclosures.”

DOI: 10.1080/00934690.2023.2295198

Cover Photo: Drone photo of Khaltaryn Balgas (MA21). Photo: Journal of Field Archaeology

Related Articles

Ritual Sacrifice of Pregnant Woman: Ecuador may Reflect the Community’s Fear of Her Power

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

In a remarkable archaeological find in Ecuador, researchers have uncovered the rich burial of a pregnant woman and her fetus,...

Gold coin hoard discovered in a cup beneath a North Yorkshire kitchen floor is being auctioned off

7 September 2022

7 September 2022

A couple in North Yorkshire found an early 18th-century gold coin hoard buried under the floorboards of their kitchen. The...

5000-year-old fingerprint found in Orkney pottery

23 April 2021

23 April 2021

Fingerprints were found on a pottery dating back 5,000 years in the Orkney archipelago, located in the northern region of...

A 1900-year-old stele was discovered in Turkey’s ancient city of Parion

5 August 2021

5 August 2021

A 1,900-year-old grave stele was found during excavations in Parion, an important ancient port city, near Kemer village in the...

Unique Heart-Shaped Jesuit Ring from 1700s at Fort St Joseph, Michigan

18 September 2022

18 September 2022

An archeology student from the Fort St. Joseph Archeology project at Western Michigan University has uncovered a unique heart-shaped Jesuit...

People may have been cooking curries in South-East Asia for at least 2000 years

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

Archaeologists have found remnants of eight spices on a sandstone slab from an archaeological site in Vietnam, showing the early...

A Roman sarcophagus containing two skeletons was found in Bath, England

29 June 2021

29 June 2021

Stone walls, a Roman sarcophagus, and a cremation burial have been unearthed in a renovation project at the Bathwick Roman...

Aldi construction uncovered Roman mosaic in UK

18 March 2023

18 March 2023

A team of Oxford Archaeology archaeologists discovered a Roman mosaic in the market town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. Ahead of...

Evidence of Intentional Roman Use of Narcotic Seeds, Found in Bone Vessel in the Netherlands

8 February 2024

8 February 2024

Archaeologists have discovered the first conclusive evidence of the existence of a hallucinogenic and poisonous plant thought to have been...

Remarkable Discovery: Roman-British Coins Hoard Unearthed Near Utrecht, Netherlands

29 January 2025

29 January 2025

In 2023, a unique collection of 404 silver and gold coins dating back to 46 A.D. has been discovered by...

Homo Bodoensis may be the ancestor of modern humans

28 October 2021

28 October 2021

Although modern humans are the only surviving human lineages, their kinship with other human species that roamed the world is...

Unique Iron Age Divination Spoon Found on the Isle of Man

21 February 2025

21 February 2025

A unique bronze spoon, dating back 2,000 years and believed to have played a role in divination rituals, has been...

Artificial intelligence is Detecting New Archaeological Sites in the Arabian desert

5 October 2024

5 October 2024

A team of researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi has developed a machine-learning algorithm to help them trawl vast...

Burial Cave in Israel May Belong to Herodian Princess Salome: From Royal Tomb to Christian and Islamic Pilgrimage Site

6 July 2025

6 July 2025

A recently reexamined Second Temple-period burial cave in southern Israel—long revered as the resting place of a Christian saint—may actually...

Archaeologists uncover ancient mosaic of the living room of brutal Publius Vedius Pollio

13 December 2022

13 December 2022

In the Pausilypon Archaeological Park, archaeologists from the University of Naples’ “L’Orientale” uncovered an ancient mosaic. The park is located...