The Great Wall Of China was also known as the “Long Wall” and was first built and reconstructed many times between the 6th Century BC and the 16th Century. It was created to help add protection to the north border of China and keep the invaders out from causing the collapse of the dynasties in rule at the time.
When first built, the Great Wall was not made from bricks but was crafted from the earth, wood, and stones. Bricks were not used until the Ming Dynasty was in rule over China. The bricks were used in conjunction with lime, tile, and stone. The bricks were lighter and smaller making them better to use and found to be much faster when being moved from one place to the other. The bricks could also hold more weight than the earth and stone and the stone was a bit more difficult to set in place. It was built to be more than 4,000 miles long and at the highest point, had over a million soldiers guarding it. Millions of Chinese men died during the centuries it took in building of the Great Wall of China.