Assignment #1: Exploring Ancient Mysteries Maria Forrester HUM 111 – World Cultures 1 Harry Stansbury

Running Head: CHANGING OUR LIVES1

Assignment #1: Exploring Ancient Mysteries

Maria Forrester HUM 111 – World Cultures 1 Harry Stansbury January 27, 2017 https://www.coursehero.com/file/24460113/HUM-111-Hidden-Tombdocx/ This study resource was shared via CourseHero.com

MYSTERY TOMB

The Mystery of Shi Huangdi’s Tomb The construction of of this emperor’s tomb began before Qin Shi Huangdi became the first Chinese emperor. At 13 years of age, Qin Shi Huangdi took the throne of Qin, immediately following he began building his final resting place. How ever when Qin Shi Huangdi unified China with a full-scale construction in 2221 B.C. he requested a man power of over 700,000 people from across the country. Taking over 38 years to complete and not even finished until several years after his death, it is located in Lintong County, Shaanix Province. Qin Shi Huangdi's tomb is the most important archeological discovery since Tutankhamun, but because they believe his burial place is full of deadly traps that will kill any trespassers. Not to talk about deadly quantities of mercury.In size, the mausoleum is larger than the Great pyramid in Egypt. Seen from afar, it is a hill overgrown with vegetation. It is believed that the tomb consists of an interior city and an exterior city. Its exterior is a low earth pyramid with a wide base. In 2000 years, the original 100- meter-high (328 feet) hillock has been weathered down to about 47 meters (154 feet) high, 515 meters (1,690 feet) long from south to north and 485 meters (1,591 feet) wide east to west. In an area of 2,180,000 square meters (less than one square miles), many large-scale Alhambresque buildings housing precious treasures are said to be buried inside the tomb.After conquering six warring states to create the first unified nation in China, Qin Shi Huangdi died on Sept. 10, 210 B.C. Qin Shi Huangdi has been entombed and undisturbed for more than two millennia. Assuming that Chinese emperor’s really installed booby traps that triggered deadly crossbows in the emperor's tomb. Even if the old Chinese texts are correct, they might now still work after two thousand years. Perhaps the mechanisms are so rusty that the

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MYSTERY TOMB

bolts won't fire. Maybe the wood and the cords used the in the traps have long since been destroyed by bacteria. Chinese historian Guo Zhikun argues the contrary. He is one of the main experts on Qin Shi Huangdi's burial site, and says that it's very possible that the traps are still active. He claims that the use of chrome in the figures may indicate that the traps received a similar protective treatment. He is sure that "the artisans who built the traps installed crossbows that will fire if any thief tries to get inside." Even if the traps don't work, there is still the matter of the high, deadly concentration of mercury inside the tomb. On-site measurements indicate dangerous levels, which may come from another feature described in the scrolls: Imperial engineers created large rivers of quicksilver inside the tomb. So much that the level of mercury inside could be deadly for any unprotected adventurers.With a number of historical mysteries buried inside deep within the tomb, it’s hard to say if anyone will ever see the inside of the mausoleum, depends on the Chinese government and science for that answer. Archaeologist, Kristin Romey a consultant for the Terracotta Warrior exhibition states nobody has been in the tomb, “partially out of respect for the elders, but they also realize that nobody in the world right now has the technology to properly go in and excavate it.” Perhaps, if and when science advances enough, there can be an excavation that wouldn’t cause serious damage to the burial site, and the tomb will finally be opened.There is a mischievous theory that there was a possibility that he was assassinated by one of the four sons in an attempt to over take the throne. Qin Shi Huangdi’s immediate family consisted of both his parents King Zhuangxlang and Lady Zaoh, his brother Chengjiao and his children Fusu, Qin Er Shi, Gao and Jianglu. Qin Shi Huangdi was obsessed with finding an elixir for immortality and had his finest scientist hard at work as he believed there was no life after

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death. This may have been caused by many trying to assassinate him. Qin Shi Huangdi believed that all his terracotta worriers would protect him when he died.In 1974, a group of farmers digging wells near Xi’an, China stumbled upon one of the most shocking archaeological discoveries of all time. The life-size terracotta solider they dug out of the ground turned out to be just one of an army of thousands, each utterly unique, with individual clothing, hair and facial features. For almost four decades, archaeologists have been excavating the site. So far, they've uncovered about 2,000 clay soldiers, but experts estimate there are more than 8,000 in total. But instead of burying his armies, concubines, administrators and servants with him, the Qin emperor came up with an alternative, clay reproductions. The warriors stand guard in three pits (a fourth was found to be empty) that cover five and a half acres and are sixteen to twenty-four feet deep. The largest one contains six thousand terra-cotta soldiers marching in military formation in eleven trenches, each as long as a football field. At the western end of the formation is a vanguard of archers and bowmen. At the head of six of the trenches stand the remnants of chariots, each with four life-size horses and eighteen soldiers. The wooden chariots have largely disintegrated, unlike the well-preserved terra-cotta horses and men.Despite the enormous number of men, no two faces are alike. Their expressions display dignity, steadfastness, and intelligence. Each is tall, standing five and a half to six feet high. Some people think terra-cotta soldiers portray real-life men from the vast army of the First Emperor.The warriors’ hair styles and topknots, and the tassels trimming their garments, denote their military rank. Many do not wear helmets or carry shield, a mark of bravery in battle. Their armor was probably of lacquered leather; some pieces look like baseball catchers’ pads. The soldiers’ hands are positioned to hold weapons, but most of the weapons have disappeared. Very likely they were stolen when the pits were looted after the fall of the Qin dynasty (the dynasty

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