30m building within Emperor Qin's tomb?
Updated: 2007-07-11 09:26
Why is the mystery difficult to solve?
The mystery seems to continue, as sometimes excavating the tomb means destroying it.
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor remains as an "unsolved mystery" to the world. Archaeologists believe that the best way to protect the tomb is to let it rest underground.
"Excavation sometimes simply means destruction," International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) President, Michael Petzet said. "The emperor's underground palace is too large. We cannot protect it if we decide to excavate." Zhang Bai, deputy director of the State Bureau of Cultural Relics said, "These cultural relics have been buried in the tomb for more than 1,000 years. If they are excavated and exposed to sunlight, oxygen or other gases, they will change immediately. Some of these changes are uncontrollable in terms of heritage."
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is about 50 meters high. The distance
between the south and north end of the base is 350 meters long; and the east and
west, 345 meters long. It has a perimeter f 1,390 meters, and covers 120,000
square meters in area. It is the largest tomb of any ancient Chinese emperor.
Historical records indicate that the emperor spent about 38 years and used about
720,000 people to build his tomb. In the underground palace, he used mercury to
simulate rivers and lakes within his territory and moon, starts above the
palace. The entire underground palace is full of hidden devices to prevent
intruders. A sophisticated drainage system was built within to prevent
groundwater from entering the palace.
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