Adam Smith

Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology

Adam T. Smith, professor of anthropology at Cornell University says that the archaeological record is clear: President Trump’s proposed wall on the Mexico-U.S. border offers only the illusion of security – just as similar walls have throughout history

Smith says:

“Large-scale barrier walls established in antiquity were created in order to guard boundaries, regulate commerce, and deflect invasions. But rarely were they effective in realizing strategic goals.

“Despite their many failures, large walls continue to lure politicians across the globe into spending vast public resources not because they work, but because they are potent symbols. They appear to be resolute and impassable, grand forms of architectural intimidation.

“In truth, walls are notoriously porous and easily circumventable. Trump’s wall, the past shows, will not address the frustrations and aspirations that drive migration across the U.S. – Mexico border. But it will offer the illusion of a solution.”