1. The article focused on how the various designs and structures of trebuchets and mangonels affected their efficiency and purpose. This closely parallels how civil engineers design the structures of buildings and bridges to reflect a specific purpose and to maximize energy efficiency.
2. Some ancient Middle Eastern structures that I am familiar with are:
The pyramids of Egypt- They were built as tombs for the pharaohs of Egypt and were often modeled after celestial phenomena, such as constellations. The largest have survived weathering due to their massive size, while the smaller ones have succumbed to the elements.
The Sphinx- I believe it was built to honor a pharaoh. I don’t know how it has managed to survive for so long because it doesn’t seem like it would handle weathering very well.
3. Nations often develop their greatest technologies under the threat of conflict. War has long been a struggle between the technologies of the opposing sides. When one side develops a new weapon, the other must develop an innovative defense for that weapon. In most cases, these defenses are structures, such as castles. Therefore, technologies to build stronger, safer buildings were developed.
The pyramids of Egypt are arguably the most famous ancient Middle Eastern structures. I think that each pyramid has an entrance that has an underground passage that leads to the pharaoh’s tomb. I have heard that there were many paths that lead to deadly traps that would kill any grave-robbers. The pyramids are such an amazing accomplishment for the Egyptian people, especially since they were built with limited resources and tools that are available to us today. I do not think that they have survived for their massive size though because a bigger structure would just be even more exposed to the elements. (ENGR 103)
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