Into the unknown
Deep in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, at the end of an arduous two-day drive up and down steep dunes and along rock-strewn tracks, explorer William Lindesay looked across the shimmering sand and let out a gasp. Most people would have concluded that what he saw was nothing more than a pile of mud and twigs, or even a desert mirage, but historian Lindesay knew otherwise. This, he was convinced, was part of the Great Wall, a lost section of what is arguably the world's most extraordinary man-made structure - or structures, to be precise, as the Great Wall is a series of barriers built over many hundreds of years, beginning in seventh century BC.
The question, then, for Lindesay was exactly whose Great Wall was this? Had this particular stretch been built by Mongol warrior Genghis Khan, or his successors, to keep out Chinese marauders? Was it a part of the wall built during the Han dynasty 2,000 years ago? Or was it constructed by a more recent dynasty?
The mystery was ultimately solved by carbon dating fragments of branches, twigs and rope from the wall at a laboratory in the United States. The results surprised Lindesay but more than vindicated his decision to launch last year's expedition into the no man's land of the Gobi in the harsh heat of summer.
Like many of Lindesay's previous trips, it was an ambitious exploration conducted on a shoestring budget, and featuring generous dashes of his trademark derring-do. The venture relied on a quirky mix of old and new technology: among the tools enlisted were Google Earth, satnav equipment, a battered copy of a Genghis Khan atlas, a Mongolia-based Dutch Mr Fixit and, last but not least, some keen sleuthing and the following of hunches by Lindesay.
Few people know the Great Wall better than the Briton, who, in his 20s, ran along the length of it before deciding to remain in China, making a career out taking expeditions along the iconic structure, writing books and shooting documentaries. During those 25 years, there have been thrills aplenty, but nothing to compare with finding a section of the Great Wall previously unseen by outsiders of any kind, at least not for many centuries.
'It sent a shiver down my spine,' says Lindesay, 55. 'It is totally not known to anybody, I don't know of anyone witnessing this part of the wall in recent times.
'It is located in a very intimidating landscape that was created 380 million years ago. It took us almost two days to cross that part of the Gobi there is not a track, or a tyre mark. We entered vista after empty vista. We saw nothing made by the hands of man, nor any sign of his recent presence, or long absence. It seemed this was one place where man had failed to stay for any significant time.