One other thing David wrote, to which I wanted to respond...
"I'd like to hear about even a curvy international birder that
did not follow features of the landscape such as ridges or streams."
Wasn't the curved border between Pennsylvania and northern Delware
established when these two colonies were independent of one another?
It certainly doesn't follow anything on the ground. It's curvy for
more than 30 miles long, and there's not one straight inch between
the start and the end of the curved part. Come to think of it, I
wonder how it is demarcated at every point where the border turns.
Len Nadybal
Washington DC
>
>
>
> --- In BoundaryPoint@y..., David Mark <dmark@g...> wrote:
> > I guess my colleague's claim is that there were few if any
> demarcated
> > boundaries that wandered across the landscape independent of
> landscape
> > features in the old days. I bet there are few walls that formed
> > international boundaries.
> >
> > For sake of argument, let's say straight for 1 km or more.
> >
> > But I'd like to hear about even a curvy international birder that
> did not
> > follow features of the landscape such as ridges or streams.
> >
> > David
> >
> > On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 orc@o... wrote:
> >
> > > just to be sure what you mean david
> > >
> > > would this include any straight line segment between any 2
markers
> > >
> > > & do you care whether it is still on an extant boundary
> > >
> > > because i imagine parts of many ancient walls would qualify
> > >
> > > m
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In BoundaryPoint@y..., David Mark <dmark@g...> wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > What do you think is the oldest example of a purely "fiat"
> international
> > >
> > > > boundary? A purely fiat boudnary is one which is drawn
> independently of
> > >
> > > > any features on the earth's surface-- a straight line, an arc
of
> a circle,
> > >
> > > > etc. Can anyone give an example of such a boundary from
ancient
> times?
> > >
> > > > By international we mean a boundary between two independent
> kingdoms or
> > >
> > > > realms. Negotiated, demarked boudnaries that follow drainage
> divides or
> > >
> > > > rivers don't count. I suspect that the Romans had them,
perhaps
> earlier
> > >
> > > > groups, but cannot cite an example. My colleague suggests that
> they began
> > >
> > > > in the 'colonial' period of the last 500-600 years. (The
oldest
> of thise
> > >
> > > > would be interesting too.)
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > David
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > >
> > >
> > >