h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

(Pulling for this one.)

Page Turner:

Original article: A10150480 - author: Think-Am - U2111883
Original article Peer Review thread: F3840714?thread=2493015
Original article Flea Market thread: F74125?thread=3310579
Second article: A15718133 - author: Vip - U188069
Second article Writing Workshop thread: F5480873?thread=3523408
Third article: A28966729 - author: Skankyrich - U931109 et al
Third article Writing Workshop thread: F8668164?thread=4769703
Third article Peer Review thread: F8668164?thread=6093745
Third article Flea Market thread: F74125?thread=6420462

This article: A87764926 - author: Bluebottle - U43530

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I suggest that the main body of this entry is ready for selection. (thank you Dmitri) As you read down, there are some very interesting sections.

However, although the dictionary definition has a place, I think it's rather overpowering where it is. Would it help the reader if there was a two sentence introduction leading you more gently into what this entry is about? Before the definition? Explaining the fact that this entry is more than about historical/physical walls but really gets to the heart of 'what a wall is'.

I've added a short section - what do you think?

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Yes, thanks BB, that is more enticing

my memory from my history was that the Athenians were having a debate over whether the "wooden walls" was referring to the walls that led from the city to the port (which at the time had heavy wood construction) or the ships - in the end they went with the ship definition and so went offensive rather than preparing for a seige

Good addition, Nosebagbadger, thanks
I've added this to the article.

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>The Great Wall of China is the longest wall ever built, so much so that there is a persistent urban legend that it can be viewed from outer space.

Michael Collins confirmed it couldn't be seen from the moon, but astronaut Gene Cernan claimed to have seen it from an earth orbit of 100 miles. Hardly outer space.

Is Inka supposed to be Inca?
Also, about the section on stonewalls from cleared fields, I know we have evidence of shelters being built before the invention of agriculture and I think we have evidence of stone wall in particular predating agriculture. I can check my textbook on that later, but wanted to get it down before I forgot.

I read the back log and realized that this seems at odds with the information on Ceide fields. I'll try to take a closer look tomorrow, but I think the difference is that the earlier wall are neither intact or surrounding fields, while the Ceide fields are listed as the oldest intact wall and the oldest walled fields.

One thing that feels missing is a mention of Pink Floyd in the 'Another Brick in the Wall' section. Admittedly, they to crop up further down, but maybe some might require an education.


Geggs

I have rephrased that section a little - have a read through and let me know what you think.

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Stone walls predating agriculture sounds counterintuitive. Nomads don't build walls, do they?

So looking at the slides from my Evolutionary Psychology class and it clearly shows shelters (which presumably had walls) being built way before the invention of agriculture. It also lists fire as being used at about the same time. I think our lecture and/or textbook included something about archaeologists specifically finding stonewalled hearths, but I'm having trouble confirming that detail.

In Ireland, the first nomadic people arrived around 8000 BC and they lived in huts made from bendy wood and animal skins. The first buildings with stone bases weren't built until people started farming. I would presume that the first stone walls to keep animals in or people out weren't built until people started farming.

But I wouldn't be sure that the oldest walls are in Ireland. The problem is probably dating a stone wall. If there's a stone wall in the deserts of Egypt, nobody is going to know how old it is. The Céide Fields walls are datable because they were under layers of turf (peat).

I agree with Gnomon.

That section has been tweaked again.

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Any other comments?

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Six thousand years (Céide Fields) is well within the period of agriculture, surely?