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← HistoryWhich mechanism primarily enabled the construction of stable, multi-story ziggurats in ancient Mesopotamia?
A)Buttressing against external lateral forces
B)Load distribution through stepped layers✓
C)Tensile reinforcement with internal fibers
D)Seismic isolation using flexible foundations
💡 Explanation
When ziggurats were built, the 'stepped pyramid' design allowed for load distribution through stepped layers because each successively higher layer transferred weight outward and downward across a larger base area. Therefore, load distribution resulted, rather than buttressing, fiber reinforcement, or seismic isolation, which employed different mechanical principles.
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