Why archaeologists don’t want to open the tomb of China’s first emperor
Some of the things that make people afraid to open the tomb of Qin Shi Huang are bomb traps and mercury poisoning.
In 1974, farmers in the Chinese province of Shaanxi found one of the most important historical sites ever. It was in a field that didn’t look like much. While they were digging, they found parts of a clay figure of a person. In other words, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The field was built on top of several pits that were full of thousands of life-size terracotta figures of troops, war horses, acrobats, important people, and other animals. Archaeological digs led to the discovery of this information.
The Terracotta Army were buried near the tomb of Qin Shi Huang to protect him in his afterlife. Image credit: toiletroom/Shutterstock.com
During its rule from 221 to 210 BCE, the Terracotta Army’s job seems to have been to guard the nearby tomb of Qin Shi Huang. The first emperor of the Qin empire was Qin Shi Huang, who was very powerful.
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Image credit: Aaron Zhu/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
An enormous amount of mystery surrounds the emperor’s tomb, but it has never been opened. However, large parts of the necropolis surrounding the mausoleum have been studied. It may have been more than 2,000 years since someone looked inside this tomb to see the feared ruler locked up inside.
Why Archaeologists Are Afraid To Open The Tomb Of China’s First Emperor
A few of the worries associated with opening the tomb of Qin Shi Huang include booby traps and mercury poisoning.
In an unassuming field in the Shaanxi province of China, farmers made one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of all time in 1974. They unearthed pieces of a clay human figure while digging. Simply put, this was the tip of the iceberg. The field was located above a number of pits that were crammed with thousands of life-size terracotta replicas of soldiers and war horses, as well as acrobats, esteemed officials, and other animals. This information was discovered through archaeological digs.
The task of this Terracotta Army, which ruled from 221 to 210 BCE, appears to have been to protect the nearby mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang was the imposing first emperor of the Qin dynasty.
Despite the enormous amount of mystery surrounding it, the emperor’s tomb has never been opened, even though significant portions of the necropolis surrounding the mausoleum have been investigated. Perhaps it has been more than 2,000 years since anyone has peeked inside this tomb to see the dreaded emperor imprisoned there.
This hesitation is largely due to archeologists’ worries that the excavation may harm the tomb and destroy important historical evidence. Only invasive archaeological methods can currently be used to access the tomb, running a high risk of doing permanent harm.
Heinrich Schliemann’s excavations of the city of Troy in the 1870s provide one of the best examples of this. His work managed to virtually wipe out all traces of the very city he had set out to uncover due to his haste and naivete. Archaeologists are certain that they don’t want to rush things and repeat these errors.
The possibility of employing some non-intrusive techniques to examine the tomb has been raised by scientists. Utilizing muons, a subatomic particle created when cosmic rays collide with atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere, which can peer through objects like an advanced X-ray, is one idea. However, it appears that few of these proposals have really taken off.
Archaeologists are hesitant to dig because they are afraid that they will damage the tomb and destroy important historical proof. At this point, the tomb can only be reached by invasive excavation methods that pose a high risk of damaging it permanently.
In the 1870s, Heinrich Schliemann dug up the city of Troy, which is one of the best examples of this. Because he was young and in a hurry, his work pretty much erased all signs of the city he had set out to find. They know they don’t want to rush things and make the same mistakes again.
Scientists have talked about the idea of using some non-intrusive methods to look inside the tomb. One idea is to use muons, which are subatomic particles made when cosmic rays hit atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere and can see through things like a more powerful X-ray. But it looks like not many of these ideas have really taken off.
There could be much more immediate and deadly risks if the tomb is broken open. An old Chinese historian named Sima Qian, who lived about 100 years after Qin Shi Huang’s death, says that the tomb is full of traps that are meant to kill anyone who tries to get inside.
“Palaces and beautiful towers were built for a hundred officials, and the tomb was filled with valuable treasures and rare artefacts.” Craftsmen were told to make crossbows and arrows that can be used to kill anyone who comes into the tomb. It was possible to make a machine that could mimic the flow of the Great Sea, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and the Hundred Rivers.
This story says that even if the 2,000-year-old bow guns don’t work, a flood of poisonous mercury liquid could hit the grave diggers. That might not seem like a real threat, but tests of the mercury levels near the tomb have shown that they are much higher than what would be expected for a normal piece of land.
A 2020 study says that highly volatile mercury may be escaping through cracks that formed in the structure over time. The study backs up what old chronicles say about the tomb, which is thought to have never been opened or stolen from.
The Qin Shi Huang tomb is closed and hidden right now, but people still remember it. But it’s possible that when the time is right, new scientific discoveries will finally help to solve the riddles that have been buried here for about 2,200 years.
