China will open the tomb, only when we are confident that our technology can well preserve those treasury contained.

The treasury and history not only belongs to this generation, but also all future generations of Chinese people.

The government should be extremely cautious on open it.

Cool find....I'll have to agree with zcheng here tho....it's going to be exavated - even if Americans have to do it...that's too friggin important for any archaeologist to just "leave in the dust"

I wonder if it will be still intact with this map of China with mercury for water. This is far more advanced than any ancient tomb I have heard of.

Originally posted by zcheng
The treasury and history not only belongs to this generation, but also all future generations of Chinese people.

Agreed, to which I would add that it belongs to everyone. Not the relics and artefacts, just that the information belongs to everyone, and that its important for everyone.

This is the tomb of the first person to unify the warring states into one of the great classical civilizations. Think of all the world chaning information that people get when they open relatively minor egyptian and sumerian tombs (not saying that egyptian and sumerian tombs are minor, rather th lesser ones that are in that culture).

Having said that, its waited a few thousand years, whats a few more decades. If it could be preserved in much better condidtions in 10, 15 years, then it'd be worth waiting. But eventually it -has- to be opened.

I can't imagine that its an expertise issue, in that the chinese don't have the ability to open it properly, but even if they don't, then they should just invite some other countries to assist. Heck, thats going to happen in some terms anyway. I am reminded of the feathered dinosaurs that are comming out of china. The chinese researchers made a deal with teh Natural History Musuem in London. The London staff prepared the fossils and got to present them for a while, after which they returned to china. Certainly the chinese could stomach having non-chinese technicians helping inside of china, even if it was the issue.

The expertise is not only for open the tomb, but more importantly the expertise to preserve the artifacts when excavated .

If the mercury is still intactin the "river", and even if it isn't, you would think that this would be a hazmat situation. I don't think that any archaeologist has faced that kind of situation to date. it will be interesting to see how they proceed when the time comes.

[edit on 27-8-2004 by Der Kapitan]

I like Zcheng. Informed, and no hokey government cover-up stories. This really is the most realistic reason for countries not wanting to excavate, as many great historical artifacts have been lost through carelessness and greed.

The details of the Emperor's tomb used to be regarded as a myth for a long time. The rivers of mecury the reproduction of the First emperors kingdom the jeweled star ceiling all of it. A part of the story also contained information about a army of soldiers that were created to guard the tomb.

Then there was the discovery of the well known terra cotta warriors. This was the army talked about in these same stories. This add much credibility to the old stories. If the army was right was the rest of the story true?

Know one knows and we will not know for sure until the tomb is opened.

There is also stories of booby traps through out the tomb cross bow armed with hair trigger traps. I also think the Qin Shi Huang sarcophagus was reported to be made out of jade. I forgot what jade represented in china back then I thing it was Immortality.

[edit on 4-9-2004 by ShadowXIX]

The description of the tomb was written only 60 years after the emporers death by a Chinese historian. His account from what I understand is fact not fiction especially since it was written so close to the event.

Archeologist always knew there was a tomb but the stories of rivers of mecury ect. seemed to fantastic for most of them to be true.

The first Emperor died in in 210 B.C.E,Descriptions of the complex appear in Shiji (first century B.C.E.) So if it was written 60 yrs after the fact it would have been at least one full generation. The Emperor only lived to 50 yrs of age.Im not sure of the average life span of a person in china at this time.The Emperor employed medicine men, prophets, and necromancers to achieve eternal life. This might have effected his life span in ways I have now clue about.But even in that amount of time stories can change.

According to legend, Hu Hai entombed many of the tomb's workers alive within the chamber to protect its secrets. Another story states that Hu Hai had all of Qin's concubines who had yet to bear a child entombed with the emperor. Some information about the tomb might have died with these people and made the stories even more fantastic.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
According to legend, Hu Hai entombed many of the tomb's workers alive within the chamber to protect its secrets. Another story states that Hu Hai had all of Qin's concubines who had yet to bear a child entombed with the emperor. Some information about the tomb might have died with these people and made the stories even more fantastic.

So, on top of everything else, it's probably haunted like crazy as well...

If the Chinese government does not want to open it, than why should other people try to, I mean we would have no right to go there and open it, without the Chinese permission.

Anyways, it is my opinion that it should stay unexcavated.
Since basically your breaking into someones tomb, which I consider to be wrong.

Originally posted by iori_komei
If the Chinese government does not want to open it, than why should other people try to, I mean we would have no right to go there and open it, without the Chinese permission.

Anyways, it is my opinion that it should stay unexcavated.
Since basically your breaking into someones tomb, which I consider to be wrong.

I haven't seen you for a long time Iori.

I don't think anyone is going to open the tomb without Chinese permission. However out of personal curiosity I hope they do it in my lifetime.

I haven't seen you for a long time Iori.

I don't think anyone is going to open the tomb without Chinese permission. However out of personal curiosity I hope they do it in my lifetime.

Nor I you.

I certainly hope they don't, without the Chinese permission I mean.
I am curious to know whats in it to, but I just don't think it should be opened, don't ask me why, I don't really know, I just don't think they should.