HISTORY EMRACED ENGINEERING

History is the birth certificate of any country, past incidents taught lessons as well as at the moment. Sometimes history repeats, Kings and Queens ruled this land used unique methods in technologies. Ancestors built complex Architectural structures and immense reservoirs for agriculture. Most techniques we are using today, are already used more than 2,000 years ago, the only difference is nowadays we are using machines. They left many evidence to support how much effort they put to construct buildings, temples, and reservoirs. They closely worked with nature and understood how nature works in several circumstances. Ancestors never waste a single drop of water, they consumed as much as they can. Wind used to melt steel to made weapons which grandiose to foreign archeologists. Still we are using very sharp slope water canal built by ancestors to feed hundreds of paddy fields in agriculture. History is changing time to time in line with technologies using in excavation and other investigations, previously mentioned facts might be change and sparked with new ideas and methods. We will refer some of examples to deeply analyze Engineering facts which are consumed in early days and how it became transfer to modern methods. Animals replaced mechanical driven machines mostly but concepts are at the same position. History would be the key factor for developing the country, without history we cannot achieve developed status. In this essay we will deeply discuss about how past Engineering sparked modern Engineering.

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???????????Sigiriya is well known for a fortress for past years built by King Kashyapa 1. This grandiose design also a world heritage nominated by UNESCO. Recent studies and research concluded this was a complex city with entertaining gardens. This rock belongs to Cambrian period 400 million years ago, expanded up to Dimbulagala rock, now these mountain complex faced geological erosions ensuing remaining only this prodigious rock and Dimbulagala rock only. Mapagala is the place where King Kashyapa visited initially, he was made a relationship prelude with local people before construction. At that time Mapagala and surrounding was an industrial zone, archaeologies proofs found steel melting equipment where weapons and cookery ware has been made. Still, immense cyclopean style stone walls for its surroundings stranding there which was made by local people. Rock edges carved smoothly and precisely and put each other upwards, iron made carving tools used to cut stones precisely, ruins of the fence length approximately 1km. All these are natural black stone which are 4-6ft height and 6-8ft wide and weight approximately 25Ton each. How local people did made this kind of design at that time? As far as I know still we have mechanical crane with the capacity of 25Ton and 30Ton maximum. What mechanism did they use to pull up rocks and keep each other precisely? Unfortunately, none of our scientist does not attend to investigate this, although similar stone fence can be found at Theripaha. Like today, King Kashyapa made quarters for his construction staff at stone caves around Mapagala. His construction staff may include skilled Engineers, Urban planners, and Landscape designers mainly. Although for irrigation purpose he made “Sigiya wewa” the reservoir to supply water for several paddy fields, the crop feed construction staff as well as locals. Due to the resonant frequency of the wind, water waves could have a severe damage to dam to prevent this they made a waive breaker from natural stones. The dam of the reservoir length 8.5km long. But today, if you visit there you could not see a reservoir it covered with lush green plants and some area having residents, but you could still see the waive breaker. The bottom part of the reservoir they prepared like a sandwich layer which consists of several soil layers, and hardly compacted. Retaining wall can be seen at the site also. Viceroy King Kashyapa made his fortress at Mapagala riches with high security features and irrigational sources.?

There are two gardens at Sigiri, one is east garden which has a size of 220 acres as the royal garden, and west garden still engulfed with forest where no Archeologist step on foot has 100 acres. Entrance from four main gates at each direction, if we could lay the brick walls inside the garden at a straight line it laid 10km long. Water canals around the garden dispersed for 8km. Top of the rock covered three hectaress floor area. Sigiriya rock is 600 feet height from earth surface. If you walk along the main foot path directs to the main entrance of the rock, the garden designed symmetrically for both right and left sides which you could see the same at both sides. This ignited how these designers planned this area wisely. Project time duration is 18 years which King Kashyapa reigned from 477 to 495 CE, but archaeologies believed this immense project cannot be completed at that time frame. East entrance had a waiting lobby area like a hotel check in lobby, the floor consisted of dolomite stones carved square shaped and laid to floor like porcelain tiles. Despite of the main door another two doors situated at both sides of main door, designer planned these two doors when someone came to lobby without open the main door security can inspect the person from coming towards these doors. The most preferential thing is main foot path direct to the center point of Sigiriya rock from bottom. Today we need a bird view to design and build to similar this, they had advance mathematicians to calculate the mid-point of the rock and designers design the whole town reference to that point which is architecturally symmetrical. Small water gardens can be seen even today built with clay bricks and natural black stone, water inlet drains ubiquitous near every pond.

Clay brick construction throughout the garden symmetrically spread. When we doing a construction like today, we met natural barriers like stones, water bubbles etc, but designers always keep that barrier as it is, and embraced it to the original design. They had technology to cut and remove the rocks, but they endured wall construction through stones by carved small stair way shaped drains to form consolidate bond between brick and rock. Octagonal shaped pond at garden’s rock had several square shape holes at 6-7ft height from water level proofed there was a small canopy made of wood anchored to rock as resting stage. King Kashyapa 1 mostly lived at summer palace which located inside the garden, he did not live on the top of the rock. Lightning strikes are possible at top of the rock, and such that height wind velocity is much fast compare to low level can be assumed top is not suitable for accommodation. Summer palace made with only wood and stones only, no bricks were used. Moat situated around vaporizing water ensuing cool temperature inside the palace. How much energy that we used today to make a room air conditioned? But King’s designers did it with naturally, also blooming flowers fragrance mixed with wind around the castle act as air fresheners. Designer’s concept is not to harm natural things, and they embraced nature wisely, where necessary. Archeologists assumed they had lightning arrestors to avoid strikes at top but no proof yet. To make bricks large amount of clay need as row material, how did they get? Reservoirs around the city has clay adequately which are enriched with irons in clay make a solid brick. Quadrilateral gardens are most complex to design and build, there are four paths which divided the area into four equal gardens symmetrically. The same concept and design was adopted by Persians, and they built “Chahar bagh” outdoor garden. This is a garden which was built around 5CE, and still it remain as it is, but most parts are ruins, there are only few gardens in the world like Sigiriya. Garden planners used several green colors by flourishing different types of trees. Most trees now you can see today, are flourished during construction period. When ascending the main entrance to rock side, designers used long pathways after every stairs to ensure not much body energy need. After the rock garden you can enter the royal entrance to lion’s rock. ????

Advanced irrigation engineering in Sigiriya can emphasizing any person, most people believed water pump from ground to top of the rock, but that was a totally myth and a conjecture. From top of the mountain water flowing through drains to water garden. There are two main irrigation sources, one is from reservoirs and other is from rain water. Mid-level of the mountain, height like 400 feet, built rain water harvesting tank with over flow water drains tumble to bottom. From this height, much pressure built on water, to control the pressure water drains constructed for long length and inside it carved with curly shape reflects more time to flowing water reduced the pressure. Also, mud in the water deposited naturally, within 50m near the water garden again slope increased slightly to make pressure higher, this water flows directly into square shaped stone with holes results water fountain. The height of water level at fountain depend on the size of the hole. All these water again connected to inner moat, and flows to outer moat directed another reservoir. This is kind of eco planning like today, not any single drop of water wasted by designers. Also this irrigation system is like an automation system, everything working naturally without any human interfere, and we could define this as “eco automated irrigation system”. Another tremendous feature is if you are at mirror wall or “Ketapath pawra” during rain you may not get wet, the reason is carved rain gudders on rock. At several stages during ascending, resting stages were made. On top of the rock we could still see small water ponds made by stones, and several buildings including view point, pond used to feed the entire garden, they are also act as rain water harvesting tanks. During rainy seasons, spilled water flows into another pond which situated closely, this is a cascade system. This unimaginable construction open doors many fields for further research and studies, engineering, architectural, urban planning, and arts are the major. Unlike other ancient constructions, this was very complex and built with precisely, we could see how much time they invest time to design complex urban town. They did not harm to nature during construction, archaeologists believed designers made special arrangements to inspect the full construction at certain height. After King Mugalan invaded this area, this city given up by its residents and only Buddhist monks used to live this area and after them this area became ruin chronologically.

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Ancient Sri Lanka rich with various irrigational sources, preferential objective is agriculture, during Royal Patronage they knew the potential of stock the water and its distribution. Irrigational era bloomed with King Parakrama during his reign, the King built 163 numbers of main reservoirs and 2,376 of medium reservoirs and vast of water canals according to the history. Parakrama reservoir is the main water source even today utilizing hundreds and thousands of paddy fields. This is like a sea located inside the territory, which has seven sluice gates. This engulfed 5,350 acres of land. Reservoir has several water sources, main one is rivers flowing from mountains, and rain water is the other one. There are few main objectives of construction a reservoir. Rain water can be store during drought seasons for maximize utilization for agriculture, although developing of circulation of water from valley to another valley. Due to the water vaporization in larger area, environment temperature become low ensuing decreasing of vaporizing of water. Ancient reservoirs have dam based water supply system which build across water ways to divert excess water into area where water is much needed for agricultural and other human needs. Dam is the severe part of the reservoir for water management effectively. These are constructed mostly with stones and some are woods, to bear much hydraulic pressure dam must have consolidate strength. Parakrama reservoir’s dam is 8.5miles (14km) of length and assumed, if we have 1,000 skilled labors and they are working 24 hours per day continuously to remove all soil of Parakrama dam, we need 14 years of time frame to complete the job. High water waves can damage the dam due to its high strength, to overcome this wave breakers or “Ralapanawa” are constructed. Water outlet designed as “Bisokotuwa” in ancient times, this skewed water flow into several channels. Natural black stones and bricks are used to construct this feature. This investment is not cheap, economically government need much money and labor power to maintain reservoirs. As above mentioned agriculture is the main industry purpose, the excess amount of crop exported to another country and earn an extra income. This is why our ancestors did not waste single drop of water, they consumed as much as they can. In a dry zone with minimal rain, it’s very challengeable to storing water throughout the year. ?????

Our ancestors are sophisticated set of people who did every aspect from beginning to end, most are mass projects which are construct more than 10 years. We still have much to learn from them. Some facts are unimaginable, compare with other global civilizations on earlier days we had stone and steel skilled people. Most of our ancient constructions are made with stones which are precisely carved and fixed. Irrigational industry also sparked with agriculture, Royals knew to stabilize the country in economically and politically by stable agriculture. Most these constructions, we still get benefits. If we know our ancient history we could avoid many problems that are facing today.?

References:

Neth FM unlimited history program conducted by Professor Raj Somadeva and Mr. Nuwan Jude Liyanage.

All images are extracted from internet (Microsoft bing search engine).

Ancient wewa system extracted from “Ancient irrigation works of Sri Lanka” by Dr. Chandana Rohana Withanachchi.