Archaeologists fear tomb of China’s first emperor may have deathly booby traps for killing intruders
Image of teracotta army protecting tomb of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang.
The tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, has remained a mystery for archaeologists since2,200 years.
Emperor Qin Shu Huang ruled from 221 BC to 210 BC and his tomb is guarded by an army of terracotta soldiers and horses.
The farmers had discovered the tomb back in 1974 in China's Shaanxi province.
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Although the area was explored by archaeologists, the tomb was never opened by them.
Here's why archaeologists fear opening the tomb
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According to a report published in IFL Science, the archaeologists feel that if they try to open the tomb, it will suffer damage and that it may have deathly booby traps which can kill curious intruders.
According to the accounts of Chinese historian Sima Qian, written 100 years after Qin Shu Huang's death, the "palaces and scenic towers for a hundred officials were constructed and the tomb was filled with rare artefacts and wonderful treasure."
"Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows and arrows primed to shoot at anyone who enters the tomb. Mercury was used to simulate the hundred rivers, the Yangtze and Yellow River, and the great sea, and set to flow mechanically," the historian has added.
The archaeologists believe that if the alleged crossbows fail to work now, there are still chances of liquid mercury seeping into the cracks and threatening life.
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"Highly volatile mercury may be escaping through cracks, which developed in the structure over time, and our investigation supports ancient chronicle records on the tomb, which is believed never to have been opened/looted," as per a study published in 2020.
Hence, scientists have been considering the idea of using non-invasive techniques for opening the tomb, however, nothing has been finalised as of yet.
(With inputs from agencies)