New 7 Wonders [Archive] - Diablo: IncGamers Forums

buttershug

08-07-2007, 16:27

Errrr?? Are you saying the Great Wall and Machu Pichu somehow are modern creations?

That's my point. How credible is a "7 wonders" listing that doesn't include the Pyramids of Egypt?

To be honest I wasn't expecting credibility.

But the Great Wall is much more modern than the Pyramids.
At least afaik it's known who, what, when, and why regarding the Great Wall.
It might be pre-modern but at least I'm not sure if it counts as ancient. I'm not sure what kind of cut-off people would have.

And I'm sure this exercise is at least as credible as American Idol.

bladesyz

08-07-2007, 17:05

To be honest I wasn't expecting credibility.

But the Great Wall is much more modern than the Pyramids.
At least afaik it's known who, what, when, and why regarding the Great Wall.
It might be pre-modern but at least I'm not sure if it counts as ancient. I'm not sure what kind of cut-off people would have.

And I'm sure this exercise is at least as credible as American Idol.

It's also pretty much known who, what, when and why regarding the Pyramids as well.

The pyramids might predate the Great Wall by 2 millenia, but the other wonders of the ancient world (the hanging gardens, the lighthouse, the colossus, etc.) were built around the same period or later than the Great Wall, so I'd say it pretty much counts as ancient.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Wonders_of_the_World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China

TheOgreMan

08-07-2007, 17:06

The list is "meh".

The purpose of the 7 Wonders is to put some insight into how such early civilizations could have/might have built such structures. That's why they are "wonders". We don't know how they built the great pyramids; we aren't even sure if the Colossus of Rhodes was possible to have existed. We do know how the Christ Redeemer was made as well as the Roman colosseum (why don't people use its correct name?). They are big and impressive, yes, but not really a wonderment.

pedu

08-07-2007, 17:58

The pyramids are still counted as one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world, but not one of the "new 7 wonders of the world".

WzWz

08-07-2007, 18:13

Chichén Itzá, one pyramid, was named a wonder while the Pyramids of Giza, a bunch of pyramids, wasn't?

Also, I fail to see the greatness of the Christ Redeemer statue. Is it just the fact that it's Jesus?

It's a shame that both the Hagia Sophia and the Neuschwanstein were left out. They are just plain beautiful, much moreso than Petra or the Christ Redeemer.

pedu

08-07-2007, 19:06

The pyramids were an honorary candidate but you couldnt vote on them because they are, as stated, already an ancient wonder. Its tricky and unnecessary complicated, but it cant be that hard to understand.

Stoutwood

08-07-2007, 19:59

Yeah, Christ Redeemer is a soulless hack-job if I've ever seen one. Rip off the Statue of Liberty, slap Jesus on it, and you have yourself a wonder of the world!

On another note, why is Jesus always a limp-wristed pansy with feminine features? I've never met a carpenter who fit that description.

Johnny

08-07-2007, 20:02

On another note, why is Jesus always a limp-wristed pansy with feminine features? I've never met a carpenter who fit that description.

Same reason Josef and Maria lived together for so long but never ever had sex. because Jesus couldnt be a bastard child and so the only other possibility that makes sense is she got spontaneously pregnant.

Whatever fits the church view.

WildBerry

08-07-2007, 20:23

Il send the same people after you that I sent to take care of Wildberry!

I've been taken care of?

Damn good hitmen you got. So quick I didn't notice I died. I think I'm still posting here.

EliManning

08-07-2007, 21:25

Chichén Itzá, one pyramid, was named a wonder while the Pyramids of Giza, a bunch of pyramids, wasn't?

I figure that's actually the one that's understandable. I mean it is sort of a wonder that two civilizations so far apart independently came up with the pyramid concept. While that may be lame I don't think anything else on that list inspires much wonderment at all.

Also, I fail to see the greatness of the Christ Redeemer statue. Is it just the fact that it's Jesus?

I'm thinking it probably got votes just because tons of people recognize it. Probably almost all of the western hemisphere was just like "Oh, I've seen that before *vote*."

buttershug

08-07-2007, 22:14

Same reason Josef and Maria lived together for so long but never ever had sex. because Jesus couldnt be a bastard child and so the only other possibility that makes sense is she got spontaneously pregnant.

Whatever fits the church view.

I thought Mary was already in a family way when they got married.
If that laundry nazi isn't still in fear for her life around you, you can check with her.

prion

08-07-2007, 23:00

it's not just a statue of Jesus. It's a huge statue of Jesus on top of a huge rock.

the real question is why didn't they include the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota?

asdf

08-07-2007, 23:05

the christ statue really doesn't fit. the amount of effort and architectural skill that was required to make it is exceptionally small compared to all the other ones. given that it was built in the 1930's, molded out of concrete, something like this really doesn't seem special. now, if it was hand-carved out of giant rocks 200+ years ago, it would have been remarkable.

i also think machu picchu is out of place. it's a village on a mountain. the only real significance of it seems to be that nobody knew about it until all the spaniards had already come and infected them all to death.

stonehenge and the pyramids at giza should take their place, imo. weren't the pyramids supposed to take an "honorary" spot on the new 7?

Johnny

09-07-2007, 00:25

I've been taken care of?

Damn good hitmen you got. So quick I didn't notice I died. I think I'm still posting here.

Not killed. I sent first class swedish torturers to break your spirit.

They will kidnap you. Force feed you cheap swedish beer.

Then if that doesnt break your spirit they will take you to a steam room and flog you with tied together bundles of twigs. Then every now and then take you out to an ice cold lake and dip you in the water then take you back in and flog you again while force feeding you more beer. Then repeat the process til you surrender.

Johnny

09-07-2007, 00:34

Yaboosh

09-07-2007, 05:58

There is something about the Christ Redeemer that strikes me every time I see a picture of it. It is so dramatic, and with the blue water background, sitting on top of a hill, I don't know, but I really enjoy it.

PlagueBearer

09-07-2007, 06:39

I mean it is sort of a wonder that two civilizations so far apart independently came up with the pyramid concept.

This has always struck me as a really stupid source of befuddlement. Toddlers can come up with pyramids; the shape is just the most efficient way of making things really tall but still stable. Why does it suprise anyone that when primitive architects wanted to make something really big they made it a pyramid?

I'd have liked to have seen Stonehenge and the Moai make the list.

asdf

09-07-2007, 07:26

I dont see what the big deal about stonehenge is.

All they would need to do to build it is make a huge pile of compressed dirt and then dig out holes for the rocks and then lower the rocks into the holes til they are all fixed and then dig away all the dirt around them.
from the evidence we have, there's no rocks like the ones in stonehenge for miles. people must have moved them dozens of miles to build it. the stones were cut and slot together, about 5000 years ago, at the beginning of or before the bronze age. the formation was probably built for astronomy, but i'm not quite sure how accurate it is. they could have matched the mayans.

so yeah, lugging huge stones for miles and building a structure that represents knowledge of the skies 5000 years ago that most people still require a few years of university courses to understand these days... is neat. it deserves to be a wonder.

Johnny

09-07-2007, 08:23

from the evidence we have, there's no rocks like the ones in stonehenge for miles.

Mayby because they where used to make stonehenge?

WildBerry

09-07-2007, 10:16

Not killed. I sent first class swedish torturers to break your spirit.

They will kidnap you. Force feed you cheap swedish beer.

Then if that doesnt break your spirit they will take you to a steam room and flog you with tied together bundles of twigs. Then every now and then take you out to an ice cold lake and dip you in the water then take you back in and flog you again while force feeding you more beer. Then repeat the process til you surrender.

The torture method doesn't work inside the Norden. We'll all probably enjoy it.

The Swedish beer might be an issue though. :undecided:

From Wiki: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_beer)

In the mid-19th century, a multitude of small breweries had grown into existence in all the larger cities of Sweden, and every town had to have at least one brewery, if nothing else for sating the local patriotism. In the beginning of the 20th century, a trend of consolidation with mergers and buyouts began, which culminated in the late 1970s and the beginning of 1980. This led to the formation of three large brewery conglomerates; Pripps, Spendrups and Falcon, and pushed the smaller breweries to the very verge of extinction. This lead to a strong stereotyping of the Swedish beers available as easily drinkable lagers, more often than not lacking in taste and character.

Dondrei

09-07-2007, 11:32

I don't really see what's so impressive about the Taj Mahal.

Christ the Redeemer may be tacky and make you feel like the entire country is one big $2 shop, but at least it's dramatic.

Ummm... is it just me, or are they missing the Pyramids of Egypt??

That's one of the originals.

Errrr?? Are you saying the Great Wall and Machu Pichu somehow are modern creations?

The first ones were only based on those wonders the ancient Greeks were aware of. The great wall missed out so I guess people figured it deserved a place in the new ones.

The latter is only from 1450, according to Wiki.

On another note, why is Jesus always a limp-wristed pansy with feminine features? I've never met a carpenter who fit that description.

It's artistic interpretation, if you go back to the really ancient depictions he was shown in traditional Hellenic heroic style or whatever else suited the tastes of the artist. They usually didn't care about making the statue or painting look like the person back then.

Although I'm pretty sure he wasn't really a carpenter. Certainly not the kind involving heavy manual labour.

I dont see what the big deal about stonehenge is.

All they would need to do to build it is make a huge pile of compressed dirt and then dig out holes for the rocks and then lower the rocks into the holes til they are all fixed and then dig away all the dirt around them.

Didn't they have to quarry, cut and drag the stone from miles and miles away without wheels or something? Did they even have metal tools? Or rope? Not to mention the astronomical measurements.

This has always struck me as a really stupid source of befuddlement. Toddlers can come up with pyramids; the shape is just the most efficient way of making things really tall but still stable. Why does it suprise anyone that when primitive architects wanted to make something really big they made it a pyramid?

I'd have liked to have seen Stonehenge and the Moai make the list.

I'd like to see you build one.

Athelstan

09-07-2007, 12:47

Mayby because they where used to make stonehenge?

You need to read up a bit more. It has been scientifically proven that the stones that make up Stonehenge came from the Preseli Hills, in Wales, which is over 250 kilometers away. There is absolutely nowhere in the Hampshire Downs, where Stonehenge is located, where these massive rocks could have come from.

Stonehenge does indeed belong on this list, however the whole "New Seven Wonders of the World" crap took place in Portugal, and when the Statue of Liberty and Stonehenge were announced as contenders, the audience booed loudly (Portugal was a strong opponent of the Iraq War). They were both left off the final list for political reasons.

Darkflight

09-07-2007, 13:02

Chicken Itza: Deserves a spot in my opinion.

The Christ Redeemer: Very dramatic, but I am faaaaaar more impressed with buildings like World Trade Center, Petronas Twin Towers and the big oil platforms.

The Great Wall of China: Biggest thing humans ever built, so it deserves a spot.

Machu Picchu: Good choice.

Petra: I don't know much about this, but a quick search and read in Wikipedia seems to justify it's position.

The Roman Colloseum: Fair enough, pretty impressive.

The Taj Mahal: I'm not confident that this deserves a spot, but it is by no means a very bad choice.

Just a thing, the "Troll A" platform in Norway is the biggest construction ever to be moved, perhaps it should be on the list.

pedu

09-07-2007, 13:11

Stonehenge does indeed belong on this list, however the whole "New Seven Wonders of the World" crap took place in Portugal, and when the Statue of Liberty and Stonehenge were announced as contenders, the audience booed loudly (Portugal was a strong opponent of the Iraq War). They were both left off the final list for political reasons.

Meh, it was an international vote thingy. Politics had little or no influence, only what people wanted.

Man i cant get my thoughts out today, i tried maybe 10 times to write that sentence in a clear way... stupid monday.

Dondrei

09-07-2007, 13:35

You need to read up a bit more. It has been scientifically proven that the stones that make up Stonehenge came from the Preseli Hills, in Wales, which is over 250 kilometers away. There is absolutely nowhere in the Hampshire Downs, where Stonehenge is located, where these massive rocks could have come from.

Stonehenge does indeed belong on this list, however the whole "New Seven Wonders of the World" crap took place in Portugal, and when the Statue of Liberty and Stonehenge were announced as contenders, the audience booed loudly (Portugal was a strong opponent of the Iraq War). They were both left off the final list for political reasons.

Which would be pretty funny since one is actually French and the other was made by people who would probably be none too friendly to modern Brits if they were still around.

The Christ Redeemer: Very dramatic, but I am faaaaaar more impressed with buildings like World Trade Center,

Oooh, I have some bad news for you, erm... you might want to sit down.

Darkflight

09-07-2007, 13:51

Which would be pretty funny since one is actually French and the other was made by people who would probably be none too friendly to modern Brits if they were still around.

Oooh, I have some bad news for you, erm... you might want to sit down.

I know it is destroyed, but lets see if The Christ Redeemer could take a 747 to the chest and still stand. :wink3:

Still, you have to admit that WTC was pretty impressive.

pip boy

09-07-2007, 13:58

Meh, it was an international vote thingy. Politics had little or no influence, only what people wanted.

He was saying they were left of the list in the first place, so how could you vote for something thats not an option?

Dondrei

09-07-2007, 14:06

I know it is destroyed, but lets see if The Christ Redeemer could take a 747 to the chest and still stand. :wink3:

Still, you have to admit that WTC was pretty impressive.

Given that the WTC didn't, that'd make them even.

I didn't even know what the WTC was until 9/11. It's two big square buildings, yawnamunga.

PFSS

09-07-2007, 15:01

I never got why we use '7'.

Seriously there are so many monuments to the motivational power of the whip out there that all have huge amounts of merit to make it onto this list and the judgement for many of their exact rankings is so subjective that there will always be "But why did this one not make it onto the list" - seriously - they're not putting the Pyramids in the Top 7? There were a few other sites about that come to mind that I think should also be in the Top 21 but seem to have failed to make it, and some in there seem more because they're well known rather than actually wonderous.

EDIT: The WTC was impressive, but there are other engineering feats out there that would beat it in my view.

pedu

09-07-2007, 15:07

He was saying they were left of the list in the first place, so how could you vote for something thats not an option?

As far as i know stonehenge and the statue of liberty were finalists... people just didnt vote.

Dondrei

09-07-2007, 15:50

I never got why we use '7'.

Because the first one had seven.

Whether that was just how many there were or whether it was a nice round number to stop at, I don't know.

Johnny

09-07-2007, 15:51

You need to read up a bit more.

Not quite feeling the motivation.

Amra

09-07-2007, 15:57

So, what do you guys think about them?

http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=633

No real surprises. I would have wanted the Acropolis thingy as one.
I was quite worried that the statue of liberty would have been voted to wonderness. But it didnt luckily.

Thoughts? Opinions?
Page won't load. :undecided:

Stoutwood

09-07-2007, 20:06

I know it is destroyed, but lets see if The Christ Redeemer could take a 747 to the chest and still stand. :wink3:

Still, you have to admit that WTC was pretty impressive.

Dude, the 747s were digitally added to the footage later and the "witnesses" were paid actors. Don't you read Neb's links?

toader

09-07-2007, 20:51

SaroDarksbane

09-07-2007, 21:00

I know it is destroyed, but lets see if The Christ Redeemer could take a 747 to the chest and still stand. :wink3:
I can't really say why, but the image of a 747 slamming into that statue makes me laugh uncontrollably. Maybe it's because the image is so absurd.

Jesus standing there, arms wide and smiling, while a ****ing 747 slams into his chest is just too much.

"OMG, they ran into Jesus!"

skihard

09-07-2007, 21:48

I think the Palm Islands (http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/living/dubai/images/the_palm/palm_location.jpg) and the World Islands (http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/living/dubai/images/the_world/the_world_dubai.jpg) off the coast of Dubai are pretty darn wondrous. Granted they are still under construction the ones that are complete are pretty impressive, not to mention some of the buildings that are being built over there.

The buildings may not be around forever but those islands will be around many many centuries from now and could even turn out to be the 'Stone Henge' and 'Easter Island Heads' to the people of the 7-7-3007.

EliManning

09-07-2007, 22:08

This has always struck me as a really stupid source of befuddlement. Toddlers can come up with pyramids; the shape is just the most efficient way of making things really tall but still stable. Why does it suprise anyone that when primitive architects wanted to make something really big they made it a pyramid?

I'd have liked to have seen Stonehenge and the Moai make the list.

Well, first of all it's not like anyone is befuddled by it. Secondly it's not really efficient at all to use human labor to carve tons upon tons of stones and then stack tons upon tons of carved stones on top of each other. If nothing else it speaks to pretty incredible centralized political power. Look at it this way, the US government probably couldn't get people to line up and build a pyramid by hand today. That's a big part of why they're wonders; logistically it's all but impossible to build one using the tools that were used to build them.

Even by your point of view it would at least have to be a wonder that so few civilizations came up with something that toddlers do so often. I mean you're talking about all primitive architects wanting to make pyramids, when the reality is that almost none made pyramids and almost none of our ancient monuments are pyramids.

I also have to say I've mostly only ever seen toddlers stack stuff up in really awkward semi-straight leaning towers three or four blocks high and then smash them down.

Johnny

09-07-2007, 22:11

The pyramids served thier purpose. The farmers worked on the pyramids the times of year when they couldnt work on thier land and so they where paid for that and had a way to support themselves all year around.

bladesyz

10-07-2007, 00:50

Well, first of all it's not like anyone is befuddled by it. Secondly it's not really efficient at all to use human labor to carve tons upon tons of stones and then stack tons upon tons of carved stones on top of each other. If nothing else it speaks to pretty incredible centralized political power. Look at it this way, the US government probably couldn't get people to line up and build a pyramid by hand today. That's a big part of why they're wonders; logistically it's all but impossible to build one using the tools that were used to build them.

Heh, that's what tyranny can accomplish, eh? And it's not impossible at all. It just requires a lot of time and manpower. I mean, the great pyramids took what, decades to build?

Even by your point of view it would at least have to be a wonder that so few civilizations came up with something that toddlers do so often. I mean you're talking about all primitive architects wanting to make pyramids, when the reality is that almost none made pyramids and almost none of our ancient monuments are pyramids.

What are you talking about? There are pyramids scattered all over the world. The pyramid is just the ONLY feasible shape to build really, really tall buildings without modern steel support.

Ash Housewares

10-07-2007, 01:02

perhaps the pyramid is just the structure most likely to survive over thousands of years

bladesyz

10-07-2007, 01:13

You need to read up a bit more. It has been scientifically proven that the stones that make up Stonehenge came from the Preseli Hills, in Wales, which is over 250 kilometers away. There is absolutely nowhere in the Hampshire Downs, where Stonehenge is located, where these massive rocks could have come from.

It's quite possible that the stones that make up Stonehenge were found near the site naturally, and the people there, seeing those awesome huge stones where, decided to build something out of them.

Maybe the stones came to rest there after millions of years of small earth quakes and shifting landscape. Maybe they got moved there by dinosaurs. Maybe there were originally plenty of such stones nearby, but the land on which those stones were found slowly drifted away from tectonic plate movement. Maybe they got washed ashore by a really, really big tidal wave.

buttershug

10-07-2007, 01:20

It's quite possible that the stones that make up Stonehenge were found near the site naturally, and the people there, seeing those awesome huge stones where, decided to build something out of them.

Maybe the stones came to rest there after millions of years of small earth quakes and shifting landscape. Maybe they got moved there by dinosaurs. Maybe there were originally plenty of such stones nearby, but the land on which those stones were found slowly drifted away from tectonic plate movement. Maybe they got washed ashore by a really, really big tidal wave.

Maybe the people that made Stonehenge moved the quarry after they were finished with it.

asdf

10-07-2007, 01:41

Maybe the people that made Stonehenge moved the quarry after they were finished with it.
hey, you could always go with the idea that wind and rain eroded a giant rock, making it look like the way it does.

same goes for the taj mahal, too.

EliManning

10-07-2007, 01:50

Heh, that's what tyranny can accomplish, eh? And it's not impossible at all. It just requires a lot of time and manpower. I mean, the great pyramids took what, decades to build?

That's precisely why it's nearly impossible. You're lucky these days if somebody spends decades on his career or even his family, forget getting thousands of people to spend decades building something across rulership changes that could easily be built in a couple days with modern technology. Case in point, when's the last time you heard of a group of guys carving stone and stacking it into pyramids manually? Some of the newest ones are so old that we don't even know whose they were.

What are you talking about? There are pyramids scattered all over the world. The pyramid is just the ONLY feasible shape to build really, really tall buildings without modern steel support.

Link plz. Pretty sure the ratio of ancient non-pyramid monuments to ancient pyramids is pretty high in favor of the former. How many were even in this competiton? One?

Athelstan

10-07-2007, 02:05

Maybe the people that made Stonehenge moved the quarry after they were finished with it.

Archaeologists are able to discover ancient quarries, even when they are moved or destroyed. They have never found a quarry anywhere near Stonehenge or the Salisbury Plains. However, they have discovered a quarry in the Preseli Hills, at Carn Menyn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carn_Menyn). Not all historians agree this is the exact quarry from which the Stonehenge bluestones came from, but virtually all historians and archaeologists agree that the bluestones did come from somewhere in South Wales.

buttershug

10-07-2007, 02:55

Man o man what was I thinking?

O yeah that Bladez made a funny joke, and I was adding to it.
Unless he was serious about the dinos carrying the rocks.

ModeratelyConfused

10-07-2007, 03:29

Could be. We have an opera house in my city down by the harbor that looks jut as fruity. (http://www.malle.se/gotet/pic/opera.jpg)

It's as if a giant child drunk on apple juice smashed together a few buildings, and then smeared paint on it to 'fix' it.

bg1256

10-07-2007, 03:51

It's a shame that both the Hagia Sophia and the Neuschwanstein were left out. They are just plain beautiful, much moreso than Petra or the Christ Redeemer.

Neuschwanstein is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I was blown away when I saw it.

edit:

Here's a pic I took personally (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o299/bg1256/105_0537.jpg)

HockeyChic

10-07-2007, 05:35

Neuschwanstein is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I was blown away when I saw it.

edit:

Here's a pic I took personally (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o299/bg1256/105_0537.jpg)

That's a beautiful shot!! Ski has a few of it as well. I would love to see it in person.

WildBerry

10-07-2007, 09:58

I can't really say why, but the image of a 747 slamming into that statue makes me laugh uncontrollably. Maybe it's because the image is so absurd.

Jesus standing there, arms wide and smiling, while a ****ing 747 slams into his chest is just too much.

"OMG, they ran into Jesus!"

That's what you get nowadays from being confident in everyone, seeing only the good in them and welcoming them with open arms.

I guess.

Dondrei

10-07-2007, 11:37

perhaps the pyramid is just the structure most likely to survive over thousands of years

That and arches.

Link plz. Pretty sure the ratio of ancient non-pyramid monuments to ancient pyramids is pretty high in favor of the former. How many were even in this competiton? One?

Compare their heights.

Neuschwanstein is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I was blown away when I saw it.

edit:

Here's a pic I took personally (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o299/bg1256/105_0537.jpg)

Reminds me of Castlevania 64.

Darkflight

10-07-2007, 14:38

That's precisely why it's nearly impossible. You're lucky these days if somebody spends decades on his career or even his family, forget getting thousands of people to spend decades building something across rulership changes that could easily be built in a couple days with modern technology. Case in point, when's the last time you heard of a group of guys carving stone and stacking it into pyramids manually? Some of the newest ones are so old that we don't even know whose they were.

Link plz. Pretty sure the ratio of ancient non-pyramid monuments to ancient pyramids is pretty high in favor of the former. How many were even in this competiton? One?

I'm not impressed at all by the building of the pyramids, considering how many people they had working there, the belief that the Farao was god and some smart solutions and good calculations.

What I am impressed with is the logistics of the project. Feeding all those people and getting them to work where they should must have been hell.

As Dondrei said, the pyramids where MASSIVE compared to most of the other wonders.

PFSS

10-07-2007, 14:51

Link plz. Pretty sure the ratio of ancient non-pyramid monuments to ancient pyramids is pretty high in favor of the former. How many were even in this competiton? One?
I think he's refering to the fact that there are pyramids of similar size as the Egyptian ones in South America and in parts of Asia.

Pyramid building seems a popular past time across cultures that are unlikely to have ever actually met each other.

ModeratelyConfused

11-07-2007, 03:18

Here's a pic I took personally (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o299/bg1256/105_0537.jpg)

Wow, that really is impressive. I would love to be able own a castle some day...

I'm accepting donations, btw.

buttershug

11-07-2007, 03:32

Wow, that really is impressive. I would love to be able own a castle some day...

I'm accepting donations, btw.

I think I know where I can get some stones to send to you.

ModeratelyConfused

11-07-2007, 03:34

I think I know where I can get some stones to send to you.

If you hear about some eccentric old man finally completing his castle out of stones he found laying around, that'll probably be me.

bladesyz

11-07-2007, 04:07

That's precisely why it's nearly impossible. You're lucky these days if somebody spends decades on his career or even his family, forget getting thousands of people to spend decades building something across rulership changes that could easily be built in a couple days with modern technology. Case in point, when's the last time you heard of a group of guys carving stone and stacking it into pyramids manually? Some of the newest ones are so old that we don't even know whose they were.

Errmm... hate to break it to you, but modern world is NOTHING like what the world use to be. People used to live and die in the same small, 100-people village their entire life, everyday doing the exact same thing year after year. Why would it be so hard to believe that people could spend decades or even generations building something?

The pyramids were far from the only long term construction projects of pre-industrial humans. The medieval cathedrals, for example, often took entire generations to build as well. (Check out Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth!)

Link plz. Pretty sure the ratio of ancient non-pyramid monuments to ancient pyramids is pretty high in favor of the former. How many were even in this competiton? One?

http://www.geocities.com/area51/orion/3781/pyramids.html

The whole thing about Chinese government keeping pyramids secret should probably tell you about the quality of the text, but it does have a lot of pictures.

EliManning

11-07-2007, 05:46

Errmm... hate to break it to you, but modern world is NOTHING like what the world use to be. People used to live and die in the same small, 100-people village their entire life, everyday doing the exact same thing year after year. Why would it be so hard to believe that people could spend decades or even generations building something?

I really don't know how to answer that without repeating myself more or less word for word. I understand that and how modern, industrialized, urbanized life is different from ancient, agrarian, rural life. That's why these things are wonders and/or interesting tourist destinations. You can't get people to do things like that anymore. Even modern rural cultures won't.

The pyramids were far from the only long term construction projects of pre-industrial humans. The medieval cathedrals, for example, often took entire generations to build as well. (Check out Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth!)

Is that something I didn't already say? Most ancient construction projects are non-pyramids. I'm pretty sure I said that and you even quoted it and tried to refute it.

http://www.geocities.com/area51/orion/3781/pyramids.html

The whole thing about Chinese government keeping pyramids secret should probably tell you about the quality of the text, but it does have a lot of pictures.

...

llad12

11-07-2007, 07:47

I cannot believe that the two wonders from my home city, Tulsa, did not make the list.

First we have the Golden Driller (http://www.biocrawler.com/w/images/b/bd/Golden_Driller_Sm.jpg)

Next we have the Praying Hands (http://www.usdat.us/secretary/archives/Hands_3168_sm.jpg)

How are those not wonders of the world. C'mon, gimme a break.

Don't be too disappointed toader, they left out Edmond, Oklahoma's Giant Cross (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?tip_AttractionNo==14373)as well.