- In the quest to build better for the future, some are looking for answers in the long-ago past.
- Ancient builders across the world created structures that are still standing today, thousands of years later — from Roman engineers who poured thick concrete sea barriers, to Maya masons who crafted plaster sculptures to their gods, to Chinese builders who raised walls against invaders.
- Yet scores of more recent structures are already staring down their expiration dates: The concrete that makes up much of our modern world has a lifespan of around 50 to 100 years.
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How Are Ancient Roman And Mayan Buildings Still Standing? Scientists Unlocking Secrets
A frieze of skulls adorns the side of the tzompantli, the platform probably used to exhibit sacrificed prisoners at the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza, with the main pyramid, El Castillo, in the background, in this June 2006 photo in Mexico. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell'Orto)
