The Gobi Wall

The Gobi Wall is a 321-kilometer stretch of fortification located along the southern borders of present-day Mongolia, in the heart of the extremely arid Gobi Desert. This segment is part of a longer wall line that continues for an additional 400 kilometers eastward into areas of Inner Mongolia, now within China. The Gobi Wall was surveyed in 2024 following satellite
imagery analysis and remote sensing. During the survey, twelve square-shaped structures
(garrisons) were identified along the wall line, as well as four hilltop forts guarding routes
that cross it. In contrast to the Northern Line and the Mongolian Arc, the Gobi Wall featured
a real wall barrier, which in some places still stands up to 3 meters high. Both the wall-line
itself and the walls of the square structures were constructed using pounded earth, combined with stone and wood. Radiocarbon dating of samples collected from the wall and associated garrisons places their construction and use between the 11th and 13th centuries CE, and suggests that the Gobi Wall was built by the Tangut (Western Xia) dynasty. Excavations were conducted at two of the garrisons, labeled GW05 and GW10. Analysis of the material recovered from these excavations, along with ecological assessments of the surrounding region, offers insights into how the people stationed here not only survived in the harsh desert environment, but also actively utilized it as part of their defense and border-control strategies.