It was supposedly built to keep the bloodthirsty Mongolian conqueror Genghis Khan at bay.

But the northern segment of the Great Wall of China served a more mundane purpose, according to Israeli archaeologists who say it was actually used to hem in livestock.

The archaeologists came to the conclusion, which challenges previous assumptions, after mapping out the Great Wall’s 460-mile Northern Line for the first time.

“Prior to our research, most people thought the wall’s purpose was to stop Genghis Khan’s army,” said Prof Gideon Shelach-Lavi, an expert at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University and the leader of the two year-study.

But the Northern Line, which lies mostly in Mongolia, winds through valleys, is relatively low in height and close to paths – which suggests it served non-military functions.

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Read more: The Telegraph