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Archaeologists in Xian in the Chinese province of Shaanxi researching the vast tomb complex of the First Emperor, Qin Shihuang, who reigned between 259 BC to 210 BC and who is credited with being the unifier of China, have unearthed another 114 of the life-sized terracotta warriors standing guard over the mausoleum.
In front of the emperor’s tomb itself are three pits containing individually fashioned and decorated warriors and horses, and so far over 8,000 of them have been excavated. Some of those unearthed recently, many of which were found in pieces, were brightly coloured and lying alongside their weapons and other items.
The site of the First Emperor’s resting place has been known for the 2,200 years of its existence. The earthen pyramid-shaped tomb mound is known as Mount Lishan and, according to one ancient text, the emperor is buried in a complex complete with palaces, offices, halls, towers and personal belongings as well as a scale model of China complete with rivers made of mercury beneath a ceiling showing the heavenly bodies. Scientists working above the tomb mound have detected high levels of mercury in and around it which suggests that there may indeed have been rivers of mercury inside.
The existence of three pits containing thousands of individually-crafted warriors, thought to have been made to resemble actual people, was unknown until 1974 when farmers drilling a well made the discovery. Since that date, archaeologists have unearthed an amazing variety of warriors, archers, horses, officials, acrobats, musicians, chariots and other artefacts some of which have been exposed to public view in a specially constructed museum. Experts believe that there may yet be other pits to be discovered.
Ancient texts say that over 700,000 people laboured for eleven years to build the emperor’s tomb. It seems that some time after his death the pits were robbed for their weapons and valuables and then put to the torch. This is borne out by archaeologists who found that many of the warriors were missing their weapons, were smashed and that some were found to have burn marks.
The Chinese have reservations about disturbing the First Emperor’s tomb, not least because they don’t want to disturb or destroy whatever is inside it. They fear also that dealing with large quantities of mercury could be both difficult and expensive. Nonetheless, should the tomb ever be excavated, it is sure to contain treasures such as might eclipse those of Tutankhamun.
It is no wonder that this sensational site has been designated by UNESCO as one of major cultural heritage.
.
Archaeologists in Xian in the Chinese province of Shaanxi researching the vast tomb complex of the First Emperor, Qin Shihuang, who reigned between 259 BC to 210 BC and who is credited with being the unifier of China, have unearthed another 114 of the life-sized terracotta warriors standing guard over the mausoleum.
In front of the emperor’s tomb itself are three pits containing individually fashioned and decorated warriors and horses, and so far over 8,000 of them have been excavated. Some of those unearthed recently, many of which were found in pieces, were brightly coloured and lying alongside their weapons and other items.
The site of the First Emperor’s resting place has been known for the 2,200 years of its existence. The earthen pyramid-shaped tomb mound is known as Mount Lishan and, according to one ancient text, the emperor is buried in a complex complete with palaces, offices, halls, towers and personal belongings as well as a scale model of China complete with rivers made of mercury beneath a ceiling showing the heavenly bodies. Scientists working above the tomb mound have detected high levels of mercury in and around it which suggests that there may indeed have been rivers of mercury inside.
The existence of three pits containing thousands of individually-crafted warriors, thought to have been made to resemble actual people, was unknown until 1974 when farmers drilling a well made the discovery. Since that date, archaeologists have unearthed an amazing variety of warriors, archers, horses, officials, acrobats, musicians, chariots and other artefacts some of which have been exposed to public view in a specially constructed museum. Experts believe that there may yet be other pits to be discovered.
Ancient texts say that over 700,000 people laboured for eleven years to build the emperor’s tomb. It seems that some time after his death the pits were robbed for their weapons and valuables and then put to the torch. This is borne out by archaeologists who found that many of the warriors were missing their weapons, were smashed and that some were found to have burn marks.
The Chinese have reservations about disturbing the First Emperor’s tomb, not least because they don’t want to disturb or destroy whatever is inside it. They fear also that dealing with large quantities of mercury could be both difficult and expensive. Nonetheless, should the tomb ever be excavated, it is sure to contain treasures such as might eclipse those of Tutankhamun.
It is no wonder that this sensational site has been designated by UNESCO as one of major cultural heritage.
.
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