Archaeologists are too scared to look inside the tomb of China's first Emperor

[Judi Lynn]

Ella Scott

Published 10:54, 09 February 2024 GMT
| Last updated 11:24, 09 February 2024 GMT

Archaeological experts aren’t too keen on prying open the tomb of China’s first-ever Emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

The discovery of the first unifier of China’s burial spot remains one of the most major archaeological findings in modern history.

Previous expeditions into the huge complex have been successful, with hundreds of figures being found in various compartments.

These Chinese statues are known as the terracotta warriors that form part of the world-renowned Terracotta Army.

This sculpture collection was buried alongside Qin Shi Huang to protect him in the afterlife and are thought to depict soldiers as well as non-military people such as officials, strongmen, and musicians.

These figures were placed in the tomb of the Emperor to protect him during his journey to the afterlife and presumably to keep him entertained, too.

While much of the tomb has already been explored by experts, a single complex remains unopened - the tomb of Qin Shi Huang himself.

The burial spot, where the Qin dynasty founder was set to rest back in 210 BC, is in the centre of the mausoleum.

However, archaeologists still aren’t 100 percent sure about opening up this part of the tomb and have repeatedly delayed expeditions to the sarcophagus.

Interestingly though, this concern isn’t born out of fear of curses - although there are concerns it could be filled with booby traps.

More:
https://www.unilad.com/news/world-news/china-terracotta-army-emperor-qin-shi-huang-tomb-167118-20240209

(I have read there are sources which claim there is also an open pool of mercury inside!)