Greatest known archeological discovery not to be excavated

The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, covered with a pyramid-shaped mound of earth, nestles deep among tees some dozens of kilometers east of China's ancient capital city of Xi'an. It is a huge structure, built without stones by ramming layers of loess earth. Qin Shi Huang has been buried here for more than 2,000 years.

Qin Shi Huang is a noted historical figure in China. He ascended the throne when he was only 13 and took over the reigns of government at 22. Then he declared war to annex the six neighboring states and conquered them in ten years. In 221B.C., he brought the whole country under his rule and founded the Qin Dynasty, the first centralized feudal empire in China's history, and proclaimed himself Shi Huang Di (First Emperor).

The construction of Qin Shi Huang's tomb started immediately after he took over the government. With a mountain behind and a river in front, the tomb is favorably situated in terms of geomancy. More than 700,000 laborers were conscripted to build the tomb and the construction took 40 years. It was still not completed when the Qin Dynasty came to an end in 206B.C.

For more than 2,000 years, since the emperor died and was buried here in the autumn of 210B.C., the coffin pit has never been brought to light. According to Records of the Historian, written by Sima Qian during the Han Dynasty (206B.C.-220A.D.), the tomb was dug deep into the ground, below the water table, and was reinforced with bronze as waterproofing. In the coffin chamber, the ceiling was painted with the sun, moon, and stars, and the walls were painted with landscapes. The mausoleum contained a palace, places reserved for officials, and a large number of rare treasures. Mercury was used to create seas and waterways, and candles of whale fat illuminated the coffin chamber. Crossbows, mechanically triggered to shoot any intruder, were placed at strategic points.


www.chinadetail.com...



Much like Egyptian pharaohs, Shi Huangdi's tomb provided for all his needs and replicated his style of life on earth, complete with many amenities: various precious stones and metals; objects d'art; a small, scaled model of his capital city, Chang'an; a small river system in which mercury was mechanically circulated, showing the Yangtze, Yellow and all other major rivers of China; and a planetarium with constellations made of pearls. The burial chamber was dug out of an aquifer which required all of the interior surface to be waterproofed with a thin layer of bronze.

www.utexas.edu...

This has to be the most lavish tomb I have ever heard of 750 000 workers
that is surely more than were ever employed on the pyramids of Egypt.
I was watching a documetary on this and the reason the Chinese government wouldn't open the tomb was because they didn't have the technology. But one of the Chinese archeologists said that it was because of chinese superstitions about spirits escaping. Bad juju

[edit on 26-8-2004 by mad scientist]

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.

I saw a program on either the Discovery channel, or on Civilizations about this tomb. The reason stated by the eight or nine different chinese archeologists and anthropologists on the show was that because of the mercury said to be contained inside (for a very long time) it would be extremely toxic (mercury vapours) and they wanted to get the right people invoved so it could be investigated safely, while more importantly properly documenting, recording and preserving anything contained inside. They felt it would be investigated sometime within the next four or five years once a safe and sound approach was devised.

Here's an article about it in the Washington Times.

There has been instances in the past where tombs in China were haphazardly investigated and some of the people involved were killed by mercury vapours that they were unaware of as a danger.

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...

This seems to be quite possibly the greatest archeological find of all time, if the tomb lives up to the descrittion.

A picture of the burial mound

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.