Why are old buildings at a lower level than our present ground level.?

Question

If you look at ancient buildings (Roman etc) they are nearly always a meter or two lower than the current ground level, why is that? Do they sink with time or do they get covered up and buried. If they get buried does that mean that the surface of the earth is rising, that does not seem to make sense, the earth is not getting bigger.

Answer 1

The answer to this question is pretty simple. Buildings have a tendency to disappear into the earth (or appear so) primely because of the DISTRIBUTION of earth mass (read dust) on the surface of the earth.
Although it may seem insignificant, dust actually has a tendency to settle on a significantly larger area around the region from which it was displaced over a long period of time. This is primely exemplifies by the sites of HARAPPA (1600BC) and MOHENJODARO (1700 BC) in the GREAT INDIAN VALLEY that had disappeared into the ground and had to be actually EXCAVATED.

Another reason is the wide-spread development in the areas surrounding age-old monuments. Usually the foundations of these newer buildings are at a higher level making the older ones appear SUNK!!

hope this solves your query...

Answer 2

get buried. Cultural layers come on top, one after another, so that is why during excavation they remove these layers carefully - to find traces of the times past. very interesting - use your chance to have a look at the open-cut somewhere at the excavation site -one can sometimes trace different layers, they come horizontally. That is exciting!

Answer 3

same in London - many town houses have basements that are underground. It is just teh way they are built and over time the road levels have raised

Answer 4

My younger brother used to think it was because the Earth was growing.

Answer 5

Covered by sand

Answer 6

I think that they are just sinking over time. But I could be wrong.

Answer 7

People used to be shorter.