Five more chambers of first emperor's tomb found

STI ^ | 1-12-3 | Editorial Staff

[vannrox]

JAN 10, 2003 Five more chambers of first emperor's tomb found Rooms are even bigger than pits that hold his terracotta army BEIJING - Archaeologists say they have found five more chambers in the sprawling tomb complex of China's legendary first emperor - rooms even bigger than the pits that hold his famed terracotta army. Qin Shihuang is credited with creating the first Chinese empire in 220 BC after conquering neighbouring kingdoms. His tomb near the city of Xi'an has not been opened, but the thousands of life-size clay soldiers unearthed in the 1970s are a major tourist attraction. Archaeologists have not opened the newly-discovered chambers, but believe they cover some 70,000 sq m, said Mr Zhang Zaifeng of the Shaanxi Archaeology Institute's excavation team. That would make them the biggest part of the tomb found so far, he said yesterday, speaking by telephone from Xi'an. 'We have no idea what is buried under the earth there,' he said. The five rooms are north of where Qin's tomb is believed to lie. He added that they are so large that 'we do not expect them to be excavated soon'. The Chinese archaeologists recently unearthed 27 pieces of rare cultural relics from the tombs. Qin is notorious for his cruelty but also admired by some for his empire-building determination. He launched the building of the Great Wall, and his unification of China's warring states more than 2,000 years ago fed the country's nationalism. The emperor is the subject of the new epic movie Hero by renowned director Zhang Yimou, which adds yet another chapter to his mystique. Hundreds of thousands of workers are believed to have laboured for 36 years to build Qin's mausoleum, which was sealed after his death in 210 BC. Accounts of the tomb tell of great treasures, and the Chinese media are speculating about what the newly found rooms hold. The archaeologists recently unearthed 27 pieces of rare cultural relics, including 10 bronze swans, 16 bronze cranes and a crane standing on a bronze platform. The Beijing Star Daily newspaper said it could contain even more terracotta soldiers. It said archaeologists were hoping that China's central government would finance a full-scale excavation. --AP Copyright @ 2003 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[vannrox]

This is super exciting.

[vannrox]

Bumpwise ping.

[facedown]

ping

[VadeRetro]

He added that they are so large that 'we do not expect them to be excavated soon'.

Waa-aah! I want it done absolutely right, but I also want to read about it tomorrow complete with full historical analysis of the significance of every little artifact. Is that unreasonable?

[EggsAckley]

I love when you guys post this stuff. Really fascinating. Thanks.

[saltshaker]

The terracotta warriors in Xian are simply breathtaking. Several years ago the emperor's tomb was not yet opened due to mercury gas inside. If you have an opportunity to visit China, take a few days to spend in Xian. It is well worth it.

[Miss Marple]

Thanks for posting this! I wonder what will be found in the tomb...

[Darksheare]

So when are they going to do an exploratory dig?
Are they even holding plans for even a minor dig?
I saw that they aren't planning to excavate any time soon, but I would assume they're just a wee bit curious to know what's in there.

[LBGA]

Thanks for posting this. I always found this discovery fascinating. Here is a pic of the terracotta army.

[LBGA]

Here's another.

[LBGA]

Duh.. I was cutting up on another thread and didn't realize these new tag lines stuck.

I am seriously interested in these terra cotta figures and whatever else my be discovered in the tomb.

[Ann Archy]

GREAT PICS!! Thanks!

[LBGA]

Thanks. Did you notice that each of the figures is different? I remember seeing these figures in a National Geographic shortly after they were discovered. There are horses, and archers, too. I am amazed at the detail, and feel certain that whatever is discovered in the new rooms would be fabulous.

It does surprise me that this site hasn't been thorougholy excavated long before now. The terracotta army was discovered in the 70's.

[Arkady]

More archaelogical posts and photos!
This effort was hampered for years by communist rulers who feared encouraging knowledge of older dynasties.
Have they found the lake of mercury and constellations of gems under the artificial mountain yet?

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

I agree with you. Everything was breathtaking. I suddenly have the itch to pack up and be on the next plane tomorrow headed of Xian. It was a wonderful experience.

[Thinkin' Gal]

When I first read it I thought it said...

The Beijing Star Daily newspaper said it could contain even more terracotta soldiers. It said archaeologists were hoping that China's central government would finance a full-scale excavation invasion.

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[yankeedame]

All right, chil'en, gather 'round for a little history lesson:

During the Warring States Period (c. 300 B.C.)in China, the state of Ch'in had, with the utmost ruthlessness, set about and succeeded in rolling up China like a mat. In the year 256 B.C. the Ch'in had taken the city of Loyang, capital of the ruling Chou Dynasty. As a result, the Ch'in Dynasty was founded

In the year 246 B.C. a thirteen year old prince of the new dynasty became emperor. He called himself Ch'in Shih Haung Ti "First August Emperor of the Ch'in Dynasty".

He continued the Ch'in policy of "rolling up China like a mat" until in the year 221 B.C. he had brought all China under his rule. Described as a giant of a man with a large nose, piercing eyes, chest of a bird of prey, voice of a jackel and heart of a wolf. "A man", his enemies conclude, "completely without without beneficence."

Among Ch'in's actions as emperor:
- Abolishing (for a time) fuedalism by requiring 120,000 old, noble familes from their vassel state to the dynasty's new capital.
-Issuing a decree that all metal lances, arrowheads, knives and utensils be confiscated nationwide and sent to the capital. There they were melted down and formed into giantic metal staues to "guard" the emperor's residence.
-In 214 B.C. in order to wipe out all opposition and previous history, Ch'in ordered the first "Burning of the Bookks". All books -- except those of magic, farming and medicine-- were ordered to be burned. Refusal to obey meant death. Nearly 500 scholors who had tried to conceal their manuscripts were thrown in to huge fire pits.
-The Great Wall. The world's longest graveyard. Over 1 million slaves/conscriped workers are said to have perhised. The Chinese say that every stone cost a human life.
-It took approx. 700K workers built Emperor Ch'in enormous palace, the building laced with overhead walkways and underground passages so that only a tiny handful of men ever knew where the emperor, who had already escaped three assisination attempts, was at any one time. To reveal this information meant immediate death.
- For the first time in Chinese history, men were castrated for a reason other than punishment. Realizing that his 3,000 concubines could not maintain the imperial residence, he ordered a huge number of male subjects to be castrated so they might maintain the palace and its grounds while protecting the chasity of the concubines.
- He standardized not only laws and customs,but Chinese characters, weights, measures, coinage and the lenght of cart axels.
- Ch'in died c. 212 B.C. after a reign of basrely 12 years. He refered to himself as Lord of Ten-thousand Years, full sure that he and his descendents would rule forever. Yet by the year 208 B.C., (Ch'in emperors #2 and #3 having been assisinated) "The empire slipped from the House of Ch'in like a fleeing dear, and the whole world joined in it's pursuit." (source Burton Watson, translator "Records of the Grand Historian of China")
- In 1973, in answer to critism of the chaos resulting from the Cultural Revolution, Mao is said to have boasted : "You have berated me by comparison to the First Emperor, who was a dictator. I have constantly admitted I am just that. Who was this great First Emperor? All he did was bury alive 460 scholors at the Burning of the Books, while I have buried 46,000! You berate me as anolther First Emperor,but you are wrong-- I have outdone him a hundred times." (source Mary M. Anderson, "The Hidden Power")

[RightWhale]

they cover some 70,000 sq m

Roughly comparable to Adriana's garage where she keeps her SUVs.

[tubebender]

I wonder what will be found in the tomb...

Al Capones Safe...