The Walls of Benin

This video is NOT meant for children. If some 'qualified' reviewer says otherwise, they are objectively incorrect.
Patreon:
/ hiddenhistory
Description:
Want to join a discord where you can argue with me and my friends about stuff?
/ discord
~ Credits ~
Songs:
1.
2. (Rather ill-guided name) Kevin Macleod - The Dark Continent
Art:
Audio:
Editing:
Used Images:
Sources:
African Civilizations, an Archaeological Perspective
Archaeological Research in Benin City 1961 - 1964
New Light on the Benin City Wall
Warfare in Atlantic Africa
Great Benin: Its Customs, Art and Horrors
Short History of Benin
Urban Landuse Patterns in a Traditional Nigerian City - A Case Study of Benin City
Historical Archaeology in Nigeria
Radiocarbon dates for Benin City and Further Dates from Daima, NE Nigeria
Two thousand years of West African history - African Archaeology: A Critical Introduction
Archaeology in Benin (By Graham Connah)
Historical Archaeology in Nigeria (Kit W. Wesler, Philip Allsworth-Jones)

[@hiddenhist]

Whoops, sorry I wasn’t able to keep my ‘promise’ that I’d move to Southern Africa for my second architecture-based video - I realized that finding any meaningful information on traditional southern-african architectural styles would require far more fresh research than i had time to execute... still a planned project though! I’d like to link it to a broader project I have planned which I may properly announce soon...

[@demonkingkongo0524]

Why does you channel focus so much on Ethiopia what about other parts of Africa it you have 1 video on west Africa it seems to me like your euro centric or raceicst you also say west Africa where stone age in one video and that Ethiopia have higher iq is wrong Nigeria has higher iq Ethiopia and Ethiopia is a failed state

[@hiddenhist]

I'd respond more diplomatically, but I'm absolutely sick of these types of comments. When you run a youtube channel, spend the hours of research necessary to produce a decently produced series on a subject: finding information, dealing with conflicting theories, buying books, drudging through databases, university archives, and google books previews for primary sources (all of which I had to find of my own accord) - and stock photo websites for information, map, and image references, then spend days or weeks worth of work writing scripts, refining them, more time trying to get a decent audio recording, then weeks worth of work to put it all together into a decent video, then maybe I'll listen to you complain about my current focus on Ethiopia. I focus on Ethiopia AT THE MOMENT because that's what I have decided I want to dedicate my time to. I thought that this was an interesting point in history, and Ethiopianists have a relatively developed study into Ethiopian history when compared to other Africanists. This is especially true in regards to the 19th century. I do not have a team, I work nearly completely alone. I would much rather focus on one region to get the history of that region done RIGHT, free of the poor and _actually_ euro-centric historical narratives that one can easily read on most public-oriented and even academic sources, which often fail to truly understand or care about the significance of events not involving Europeans, or if they do, then still do not care to cover them. You won't find coverage of the battle of Embabo very easily. And I do NONE of this simply for a person to accuse me of being Euro-centric. If I were Euro-centric, I wouldn't have spent literal months reporting on battles and politics between "Black Africans" (Kufit, Embabo, and have just finished scripts for Chelenqo, Debra Sin, and Gallabat). I would've instead defaulted to the typical narrative found within History books where little attention is paid towards these crucial battles in Ethiopian and North-East African history, in favor of battles between Ethiopia and Britain, Ethiopia and Egypt, and Ethiopia and Italy. If you want to complain about that in this way, unsubscribe from my channel. I make my videos for my own entertainment first and foremost, not as a job. So I'll cover what I want to and am able to cover.

[@hiddenhist]

Troll or not, which I suspect you are, the rest of your accusations are absolute bullocks and I'm not even going to entertain them.

[@wolefatunmbi9727]

@@hiddenhist Dear brother, am a Nigerian Historian resident in Germany. I humbly ask for your audience sir. I have great infos. classified infos concerning this wall and a lot more, about these people, the region and lot of their histories are intentionally hidden.

[@lovelifelaftr]

Okay, let me help you a little here. The inner defense is built as a moat. It was dug, not raised. My high school was right on top of the moat and as kids we would go in to play. Obviously not as deep anymore due to soil erosion. It should still be about 100 a 150ft deep in some areas behind my school. The “outer” defenses were also moats dug as an extension of the inner moat. They were dug around the city. For those that don’t know, our city is round and our roads are in circles. It’s been that way for centuries. For example, I lived at 3rd east circular rd. It was based on fractal mathematics. Not super top notch but great for it’s day. Our entire city was burned down and massacred in 1897 by the British Navy. We have been struggling to recover since then. Poor politics haven’t helped either. Just a little history of my beloved city.

[@jakemcnamee9417]

I hope you get to rebuild this great city and restore it to its former greatness.

[@JoCasinoCCP]

Do you have social media or Reddit? I would love to hear more of your story and help if possible.

[@ladypokerdealer]

They seem to be taking a lot of the videos with information about Benin. 😢 Trying to hide history 😢

[@rb9882]

@@ladypokerdealerwhite lies have to prevail or the world crumbles for then

[@nigerdeltamirrortv9311]

I schooled in Benin City....I used to see some parts of the wall in the city but didn't know much of the history till later. Great video

[@Artur_M.]

Really interesting video. I actually talked just today with my brother about Benin. We were talking about everything over the Chrismas dinner and somehow ended up talking about Africa. I told him how some of the modern African states are named after historical realms with which they have little in common like Benin and Ghana. It would be maybe more appropriate to name them Dahomey and Ashanti respectively, but that, as I understand, would favorized some ethnic groups within these countries over the others, so they picked other names evoking the glorious parts of the pan-African legacy.

[@hiddenhist]

It's a very interesting discussion. I understand both viewpoints though I do sometimes wish more countries followed traditional names haha.

[@Artur_M.]

@@hiddenhist Yeah, just one of the many unfortunate consequences of having mostly artificial borders drawn by the colonial empires.

[@DOPAMEAAN]

@@hiddenhist bro, where did u get all these illustrated images of benin?

[@destinyovbiebo8988]

This is Benin City in Nigeria

[@ley5230]

The person is talking about Benin city

[@mrmister1657]

They need to rebuild the wall seriously

[@whotf9312]

So use the slave Labour they did then?

[@BrendanMurphy-w3v]

Why ?

[@aa.xviiii]

Been looking for a clear well research explanation such as this for a while, much appreciated ❤️

[@realwest3028]

The Empire of Benin kingdom located in southern Nigeria

[@MsHizway]

These moats were designed as protection and military defense. I know because it it behind my grandfather's land. He was a traditional chief.

[@osarobomike]

Uhuru wall in Benin called lya was a work of Benin for safety purposes to protect Benin people from invaded it is bigger than Chinese wall may God almighty bless Edo people amen

[@angelabby2379]

the chinese wall is 21.000 km and its a fact. while benin is 16.000 and probably a fantasy or not even a wall

[@thefacts511]

@@angelabby2379 It was a wall and a very real one too. And u say it as if its a bad thing? So now why do people get triggered when they hear good things about Africa? The wall was 66feet and it was about 20 meters so in feets and meters the great wall of Benin was greater and incomparable to the great wall of china.

[@bindasemmanuel1370]

Iseh

[@davidgrace6327]

The great Benin wall was bigger than China wall

[@nigerdeltamirrortv9311]

@@thefacts511 don't mind those unfortunate oyibos. ..They never want to hear anything good from Africa except wars, poverty and disease....look at the way the scumbag mumu wrote off a great structure like the Benin wall that's even longer than the Chinese wall. Oyibos have spirit of evil and hatred in them. Smh

[@blackerpanther3329]

So it’s a long ditch not a wall

[@christianmiller9934]

It’s a wall racist

[@RileyFreeman_]

It had a ditch and a wall damn he said that like 10 times

[@Werebat]

Very obscure facts incoming: 1. In D&D’s “Dark Sun” setting, the city-state of Gulg is loosely based on ancient Benin. 2. I used the initial background music of this video (from its original source) quite a bit during my recently-finished Dark Sun campaign. 3. One of the players in that campaign actually has ancestry from Benin, which we learned AFTER the campaign was over. He had been playing a character whose human ancestry was from Gulg. So - lots of weird coincidences here.

[@spindoggytheexplorer2915]

Wicked. I’m actually researching Benin as an African nation for the DnD world I’ve been building for some time.

[@MustardAndFries]

Anyway in future videos you could try and place citations in the video around the time you use them? Would make it easier to pick out your sources for my own research. Great video, keep it up!

[@hiddenhist]

Sources can be found in the description, as I’m sure you noticed. I will be working on improving in-video citations in the future!

[@MustardAndFries]

@@hiddenhist Thanks for the reply! I did see them, just a suggestion.

[@octobersonoctoberson9792]

Interesting history Great job I must say, the history is truly ancient indeed and it’s quite understandable that you had to leave out some information in order to achieve a detailed summary. I’ll like to see more of the Great Benin Empire history here especially that Of Queen Idia and her son Oba Esigie.

[@nathevans3197]

I'm from the Benin Kingdom' Benin is not Benin Republic. Benin is an ancient city in Nigeria and it's called the heart beat of the nation of Nigeria. The stories behind the Benin Empire is far beyond this documentary. That wall called IJAH has been there before the British came to Africa and the Benin Kingdom was the first city the British discovered. Before they arrived' the city was build ( beautiful) and surrounded with great warriors. It's a city with a great traditional ruler Called the Oba of Benin Kingdom. He is a well respected Oba and a great titled till today. Lots to learn about that. Well" there are lots to say about the atrocities the British committed in Benin Kingdom that lead to the war were the British army's were destroyed and killed by the Benin warriors in support with that wall called IJAH. Its a long story how how the British stole the Gold, silver, diamond artifacts that is given them problem till today. Google this and read for ur self. ( British Museum to return Benin bronzes to Nigeria) There are lots we need to learn not their fake documentaries they publish. The Benin Kingdom has been in existence long before the stories we read from the Bible. Most of those stories was connected to Benin Kingdom which was never revealed by the British. The stories behind the Philistine giant slain by David started from the Benin Kingdom... please i need everyone to go deep into history because most of the stories we see online was written to how they want us to understand but the real story has never been told. I strongly believe before the existence of the British there was Benin Kingdom. Well build with civilized and educated people that's why they were unable to capture the city so easily. They even stole all the beautiful and great treasures to beautify their nation. That was British stealing from Africa 🌍 to United Kingdom.

[@stellamagbagbeola7771]

Hi, am so impressed with your knowledge about Benin kingdom, especially the one with David and the Philistines, kindly send me a link so I can read too. Thank you.

[@Igor-pj4iq]

Lol

[@samuelteerseer8034]

How did the story of the philistine giant called Goliath relate with Africa...? Your claim is suffering from malaria.

[@clos1203]

@@samuelteerseer8034 it's a story that the Europeans stole from the Africans duh

[@dablaccseaproductions5279]

@@samuelteerseer8034 look up the giant warrior Aruan

[@ceruleantortoiseoats]

This video is very informative and educational thank you for teaching us the history brother 🙏🏾

[@cxarhomell5867]

Yoo, how's it goin' dude? Merry Christmas! Good video too, didn't know that this existed.

[@sjappiyah4071]

To say they were only ramparts & moats is a stretch, as pictures like at 6:11 displayed, a lot of the iya where straight formed “ walls”

[@hiddenhist]

why is it a diminishment to call them ramparts and moats? Why is that a matter of ‘only’? The image at 6:11 is not of the benin city walls.

[@sjappiyah4071]

HiddenHistory HiddenHistory I never stated that it was a “ diminishment” . I’m simply saying that it’s not giving a full picture to what the edo people built, many segments were organized, neat and rectangularly mud brick based murals. Also , why would you go through the trouble of calling out pictures on the internet that are not benin city walls in the beginning of the video. Just to do so at 6:11 ?

[@hiddenhist]

Samuel Appiah there you go again. You act like you have something to prove by using all these terms: the iya werent messy ramparts, there were neat, ordered walls too! You use the term ‘only’ in the first comment aswell, which is a term that directly reflects a level if restriction, limitation, or lack of development. That you act as if you need to prove that they were ‘more than’ ramparts. Well, they were by scholarly consensus. Many of the images i used were not of the benin walls, but of multiple other things from around the city. I have images of palaces, streets, etc. There arent enough images of the walls to occupy an entire video, and even if there were, i wanr to show off other aspects of benin’s culture, yeh?

[@sjappiyah4071]

HiddenHistory There you go again ‘ascribing motive’ to my word usage and playing with semantics. I did not say “only “ in an attempt to belittle, I said “only” in attempt to clairify that these weren’t the SOLE components to the earthworks. But sure , continue to guess what I’m thinking instead of actually reading thoroughly. 1) Perhaps said “ scholarly concusses “ isn’t as “ concise” as it appears. Other sources show images of straight mud brick based, components to the Benin wall amp.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/18/story-of-cities-5-benin-city-edo-nigeria-mighty-medieval-capital-lost-without-trace Image 2 & Especially image 4 are god examples as they’re either photographs or direct sketches from eye witnesses. 2) Also friendly advice, perhaps in a video were you are attempting to distinguish what is and what is NOT the benin walls you should attempt to separate what are images of the walls and not, yeh ?

[@kingofrexdale8598]

Samuel Appiah Exactly! This hidden history guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he’s always under “ From Nothing’s” KZbin videos moaning about semantics and misnomers in his videos, whilst Ironically making flawed videos himself lool. You nailed it with the Wall part, he probably looked at the wikipedia and saw “ earthworks, banks and dishes” and thought that encompassed ALL the walls. As you clearly pointed out samuel there are sketched images from EYE Witnesses such as the one made by the british officer in 1897, which clearly indicate that benins walls had SOME segments that were made of mud bricks, were straight, and NOT ALL were ramps & ditches. Let’s unsubscribe lol

[@amatya.rakshasa]

How could you not show these on google map or some other kind of map?

[@noblephoenix6151]

Very interesting ditches

[@neolitobject]

#RebuildTheBeninWall

[@babytolu]

How can a foreigners come up with theories why something was built in another mans land are they the holyspirit that reads mind, these people who made it knew why they did and I believe them or are they trying to say they weren’t smart enough to create something that amazing for protection or accomplish many more things that they did. These oyinbo people and their superiority complex! Admit it these people were smart and fine warriors 😊👏🏾🤷🏾‍♀️🙌🏾

[@YouGotOptions2]

Because they are white and they say so

[@davlid100]

Thank you my brother..as a Benin man I was just thinking the same thing.!! How do you make fake theory about other people history and land" white wash theory!!!..

[@babytolu]

david soul Africans and Africa ain’t saint either the devils kingdom isn’t divided 🤷🏾‍♀️ deceptive world! I know that as a child of God trinity

[@nauticdixons]

Well do your own video and yell your own story. Stop whining and complaining.

[@TheLosrodri]

4:09 Why do your animated kings look like Winnie the Pooh profiles

[@osawemwenegiebor6769]

One of the walls was intended to prevent depopulation of the city at a time while the other was for defence. They were built under different emperors.

[@EmilReiko]

Objects such as walls can mark properties, administrative zones and be meant for defence - all at once.

[@altcoingodson1833]

This is a really good video, nice and measured with great animation and graphics. well done lad.

[@redwallzyl]

Excellent video

[@erebus7306]

Just subbed. Looks like a cool channel for Black History.

[@ajibolaobe2780]

I think whatever is left of the wall needs to be preserved for prosterity.

[@johnnomah]

From history pass down by our forefathers, the moth (iya) was definitely for defence purposes. There were a lot of wars fought during Ewuare 1 which makes that account plausible. Besides, the families os some of the lookout on the iya are still very proud of their role till today.

[@tadebanjo]

I do not attest to the length or height of the walls, but I saw evidence of moats around the city of Benin. You only need to see how wide the existing portions of the moats are as at the 90s, to imagine their actual sizes in antiques!

[@rayalaraghukishore]

Warangal in Telangana, India has these kinds of walls. According to the texts inner circles of wall of mud, stone, brass etc. total 8 eight layers. This was built by queen Rani Rudrama Devi. In google map we can see the walls surrounding the city Warangal

[@HattieMcDanielonaMoon]

I like your channel

[@HistoryandHeadlines]

I like the "not meant for children" in the description. I really hope the whole concern about that proves to be overblown next year. Anyway, thumbs up to the video! :)

[@JK-pd7jf]

My interest stems from my Esan ancestry. Could the presenter provide the bibliographies for the three scholars he cited? I would like to read upmon this.

[@dutch9238]

Can you please spell out the correct names of the images you listed at the very beginning of the video?

[@imsorelaxed7184]

What did you say the second fake pic that you showed in the beginning is?

[@hiddenhist]

It's Sungbo's Eredo, another site in Nigeria.

[@skpbeatz]

Turn up the voice alittle bit..

[@angelabby2379]

1:48 its like comparing a string to a fabric. so i have a bunch of tied string measure at total of 16000 km, we dont have long string vs. i have a fabric that if sewn together measure at total of 21000km, but the one long fabric is 8100 km in conclusion the string is longer than the long fabric, but still lost to the total of the fabric. how can you even compare a string to a fabric lolllllllllll just like this video and u called it not far off, string and fabric is not far off at all

[@MsHizway]

You keep saying, "debated", debated by whom? Ask the indegenes, not European accounts.

[@hiddenhist]

Scholarly inquiry should be skeptical of all accounts.

[@Scp716creativecommons]

Fantastic clarification for someone who just learned of them

[@mragame8442]

Do a video on British and Abyssinian war

[@realtalk7547]

He does not say it, but we are probably talking a slave culture here with that kind of intensive labor and no equipment. Perhaps captured in war.

[@greatnilemedjaywarrior3155]

Great Videos Keep it Coming My Brotha Benin Societies needed privacy an Security also that seen there Neighbors Like Afrocan Songhai and Old Ghana Kingdom's and The Mali Kingdom's at War so Privacy and Security every people's needs that Smart people's aye keep the Videos Coming Your channel is Amazing

[@republicofsalmania1190]

The called it benin because Ben was kept in the walls?

[@hydrolito]

So partly wooden walls and partly earth work and ditches, there are ditches along many roads but never heard people refer to them as walls.

[@Travisbig7]

That's the point I suppose, there's so much ignorance on the topic most don't even know what to associate it with. But as he mentioned in the video it's locally called a "Iya" and to deny the stretch and length of it is ridiculous, not saying that's what you're doing but you do have a solid point.

[@angelabby2379]

@@Travisbig7 comparing earth work and ditches to the actual Great wall of china is just sad, 16.000km of whatever earth vs 21.000 of concrete wall

[@Travisbig7]

@@angelabby2379 *Except no one compared it to the great wall of China you smug pos* Leave channels like this alone there's no racist around here for you to dog whistle to, you prejudice troll!

[@immortalituss]

@@angelabby2379 most of chinas wall is made of rammed earth. The stone you mention is only the ming wall built in the late medieval period

[@999oj]

These was more than a ditches like u said. You are trying to downplay the historical significance of the wall. It’s my city and the moat was deeper than a main ditch. The moat surrounded the all city. You can build a 13 story or more inside the moat and you still won’t see it come out of the moat, that’s are deep it was.

[@Hchris101]

Very cool

[@tangabiang5282]

Thanks!

[@jamesbadous1233]

The British really that they are wrong for invasion of beninis kingdom and what they destroy was not good today Benin should have been the capital of ñigeria it is the wiked work of British government some of the British army was kill too by our traditional royel general may God almighty containue to bless Edo kingdom amen

[@kofiakanfantse8071]

They dont even know how we build the pyramid's,how will they know anything about Benin Wall.They will soon put on some documentry,telling us that Aliento,build the Benin Wall.

[@hiddenhist]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5avZJWcrNpgkM0

[@dablaccseaproductions5279]

Including the agriculture theory that Europeans came up with is just ludicrous

[@kitzmawniuh2640]

Benin wall - I'm the longest, larger longest wall in the world. British came in and no more Benin wall😆

[@evelynosadolor4549]

Lovely

[@TGiona]

Who else thought the title said "The Great Walls of BERLIN" lmao

[@MegaTang1234]

Well that was very interesting.

[@mch7933]

i still doubt the figure of 16,000 km though. benin city was a decent size but not an oh wow size that would require 16,000 km. However if the "wall" is considered to constitute every stripe of demarcation that went around as well as within the city, then i guess this makes the 16,000km more plausible. Interesting video

[@hiddenhist]

You have to consider that things can have exponentially larger surface areas than the thingd that contain them. This id part of the reason why, in my opinion, it's not as "grandiose" as people make it out to be.

[@Majesta123]

It means you don't know much about Benin. I think it is actually longer than 16,000km is all over Benin. It is only this modern days that people have destroyed most of the walls. Go to ovia orhionmwon and main oredo it passes through all those areas is more than 16,000 km

[@mch7933]

@@Majesta123 I know a lot about Benin city. I don't think you know the size of 16,000 km. Probably you think it's just a fancy number with attractive zeros.

[@isthatso1961]

@@mch7933 have you ever been to Benin? Sighting scholars from the same Britain that stole, suppressed and tried to write a new, totally different/wrong narrative of our history? Lol 👍🏿

[@safuwanfauzi5014]

It Wall or Rampart, Rammed earth ? So it not like the Great wall of China made from stone or brick or others Wall in Europe, North Africa, Arabia, India, China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Iran/Persia?

[@hiddenhist]

many fortifications elsewhere are also made of rammed earth or similar materials (including massive sections of the Great Wall); it would prove an extremely useful material during the period of canon warfare. The Benin fortifications are not some unique "african" form of defense, and other African cultures have walls.

[@safuwanfauzi5014]

​@@hiddenhist It similar to Kano, Katsina, Sokoto in north Nigeria, Zinder and Agadez in Niger, Timbuktu and Djenne city wall, made from Mud, but it not look like Rampart, it have battlement or crenellation. in North Africa and Gulf Arab state fort and city wall did have mud wall and fort/castle too. it sad the Nigeria, Niger and Mali government do not beautify, repaired and reconstructed to original states for heritage and tourism, also reconstructed old city, with original architecture, like Benin old palace, old city, old gates, roof and others, most important is trash, plastic waste and garbage must be clean, the road and environment,, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Korea and Indonesia already done it. even not all some part.

[@dodicandra6489]

Ohh ini tembok yg di hancurkan Inggris

[@TatayK]

How about asking the British that destroyed them.

[@sibarra4583]

Earthworks... Wouldn't Any Works Done on Earth. Pyramids. Walls. What Eva' Be Earthworks. Shame. No Matter How Great. History... Always Belittles Our Story!

[@hiddenhist]

I don't exactly know what's belittling. They're structures made of soil, quite literally. "Earth", in this context, means soil.

[@SomasAcademy]

ay, BOIIIII

[@Crosshill]

えど、いまどづわ、おぎそ、べにん

[@dibensy59]

Did they have slaves do some of the work?

[@hiddenhist]

Unknown, possible

[@badanelson7876]

No the benin empire did it by themselves they are now in southern Nigeria 🇳🇬

[@badanelson7876]

@@hiddenhist u don't even know much about benin empire but thanks for trying ur Best

[@americannationalist4820]

@@badanelson7876no slaves could of did it

[@lupettoversilia]

#MailRoyalCaneStaBene ?

[@ArghRawrWhoa]

Hmm

[@kingofrexdale8598]

Un thorough analysis....

[@dwb2518]

It's still a Wall.

[@hiddenhist]

Just a question-why does it really matter?

[@dwb2518]

@@hiddenhist Just a question, why doesn't it matter?

[@hiddenhist]

@@dwb2518 in my mind, the impressiveness of the structure is not related to whether its architects chose to build a wall, or not. In fact, I'd reckon that trying to build an actual wall might not have achieved the strategic goals they had in mind. Many of the most impressive fortifications in history are not walls. As such, I am just a bit surprised so many people seem to care so strongly about it being a wall; often, because it is thought that them not being walls would be less "impressive".

[@soulzlimit3138]

The city was burned down

[@IpernickTheGreat]

Walls work

[@osamudiamenosayande]

British destroyed the wall

[@blenshanegro3260]

W

[@mragame8442]

Tf are you repeating ??? Tf are you repeating ?? Tf are you repeating ?

[@pubgmobamax2892]

Makasih hahah

[@pieterjansenvanrensburg7322]

500 years from now. Documentary: Donald Trump built the wall between the USA and Mexico to keep drugs sex slave trade and gangs out. People: Wow! That’s amazing..

[@auliasyam2934]

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarokathu 🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩

[@lordgorshack3970]

Ditches aren't walls. Yall clutching for straws.

[@hiddenhist]

@@lordgorshack3970 dang you clearly didn't watch the video

[@lordgorshack3970]

You literally said they weren't walls in the first minute of the video.

[@hiddenhist]

@@lordgorshack3970 yeah, I did. So why are you saying I'm "clutching for straws". The monument is commonly referred to á "Benin walls", so obviously I'm going to use a term people are familiar with and then explain the facts of the matter when I can.

[@lordgorshack3970]

@@hiddenhist Some simple quotation marks around the word "wall" in the title would suffice

[@hiddenhist]

@@lordgorshack3970 do you expect someone to do the same for the great wall of China, which is also mostly ramparts and ditches? 🤣

[@HenryOkafor-n2j]

😂

[@iworhjoy3830]

What are you trying to prove? Are you telling us about the wall or are you degrading the wall? 2: you have poor narrating skill

[@2loaves388]

Lol this "wall" sucks

[@hiddenhist]

50 meters top to bottom surrounding the circumference of an entire city. Yes, truly terrible.

[@yorubawarriors4980]

you probably never been to this wall

[@2loaves388]

@@yorubawarriors4980 lol it's not a wall. It's a mud pile 🤣

[@2loaves388]

@@hiddenhist ah yes the great mud pile. Such an accomplishment

[@yorubawarriors4980]

@@2loaves388 that's your opinion

[@iceintheair]

wack

[@petergriffin3723]

K

[@iceintheair]

@@petergriffin3723 k

[@petergriffin3723]

@@iceintheair k?

[@iceintheair]

@@petergriffin3723 k

[@petergriffin3723]

@@iceintheair ?

[@circomnia9984]

Dumbest Defensive System Ever

[@hiddenhist]

50 meter tall ditch network complete with gates and foliage to obstruct attackers is dumb 👌

[@etemytradel4509]

I don't think comparing a pile of dirt to china's great wall makes sense

[@hiddenhist]

Given the 'pile' was an approx 50 meter tall ditch and rampart that would've required hundreds of workers and thousands of hours to complete along the circumference of a sizeable city, I think the comparison is fine. But you didn't make that your argument I hope you realize most of the great wall of china isn't much more complex. The ming wall is just the sexy bit everyone thinks of. Of course, you could point out they had different purposes, and I'd agree. One is a city, another is for an entire border.

[@etemytradel4509]

@@hiddenhist you are comparing architecture and planning with gaint stone walls ,towers and gates to a mudhole. Yes a big mudhole but come on. Next we will be comparing the Aqua Virgo to some big farming ditch in Timbuktu

[@hiddenhist]

@@etemytradel4509 Most of the "great wall", again, isn't stone. It's earthen rampart and ditches. The section you're thinking of is the Ming Wall. which comprises a minority of the total fortification. Earthen defenses were used around the world because they were effective. They feature in European history from the days of the simple Mott and Bailey all the way to the complex star forts and war trenches. Regardless of how you slice it, it's a large-scale fort. And like I literally just wrote, I don't think these are comparable, because they each have different uses. I only bring the comparison up because of how commonly it's thrown around, and I had to debunk some stuff. Maybe think a bit about what you're discussing before posting drivel.

[@etemytradel4509]

Drivel lol the ming wall makes up half the great wall. Go watch wakaanda forever

[@hiddenhist]

@@etemytradel4509 the ming wall is about 8,850 meters or 5,500 miles. The total great wall is about 21,190 miles or 13,200. Closer to a third than a half. I digress. I actually lied to you earlier: out of the total ming wall stretch, 6,250 ish meters (3900 miles) are actual 'wall' (the rest being rampart/ditch). So we shrink our number even more from about 40-42% to 30%, if I'm generous. And when you actually Google the majority of wall, it seems to be made of something like rammed earth. Anyway, through and through I want to note that even though you complained about the comparison, you're the one insisting on it.

[@babytolu]

How can a foreigners come up with theories why something was built in another mans land are they the holyspirit that reads mind, these people who made it knew why they did and I believe them or are they trying to say they weren’t smart enough to create something that amazing for protection or accomplish many more things that they did. These oyinbo people and their superiority complex! Admit it these people were smart and fine warriors 😊👏🏾🤷🏾‍♀️🙌🏾

[@CraigTheCreator]

U right how can a foreigner tell us the purpose of why the walls of Benin was built. I feel it had a greater purpose then these feeble Minds could imagine. 9 walls is significant to an divine purpose

[@amicable5237]

Fantastic video

[@blenshanegro3260]

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[@blenshanegro3260]

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