imagine you were working in a field in China and you stumble upon a piece of clay that looks like a human figure you might think it's just a random artifact but what if I told you that it's part of one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time a discovery that reveals the secrets of a powerful Emperor who ruled over two thousand years ago and whose tomb is still unopened and full of mysteries in 1974 farmers in the shanxi province of China were digging a well when they found fragments of clay soldiers they alerted
the authorities who soon realized that they had uncovered something extraordinary archaeologists began to excavate the area and found thousands of life-sized terracotta models of soldiers and war horses arranged in battle formations they also found models of acrobats officials and animals all made with exquisite detail and craftsmanship this is the story of the Terracotta Army and the tomb of Qin Shi Huang the first emperor of China Huang was born in 259 BCE as the king of the state of chin one of the seven Warring States that fought for Supremacy in ancient China he was a ruthless
and ambitious ruler who conquered all his Rivals and unified China under his rule in 221 BCE he became the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty and embarked on a series of reforms and projects to consolidate his power and Legacy he standardized the writing system currency weights and measures and laws of China he built roads canals and irrigation systems to improve transportation and agriculture he also ordered the construction of the Great Wall of China to defend against nomadic Invaders from the north but perhaps his most grandioseum controversial project was his own Mausoleum which he started building
soon after he ascended the throne according to ancient records he employed over 700 000 workers to construct a massive complex that covered an area of 56 square kilometers 22 square miles the centerpiece of the complex was his tomb which was said to be a replica of his Palace and Empire complete with rivers and seas made of mercury palaces and towers for his officials and treasures and artifacts from his realm the tomb was also protected by elaborate traps and mechanisms that would shoot arrows or release poisonous gas at anyone who dared to enter but the most
astonishing feature of the mausoleum was the Terracotta Army a vast array of clay figures that surrounded the Tomb in four pits these figures were life-size models of chin Shi Wang's Army including infantry Cavalry chariots archers generals and even musicians and acrobats each figure had a unique facial expression and hairstyle and was equipped with real weapons and armor the purpose of the Terracotta Army was to guard the emperor in his afterlife and to ensure his eternal domination over his enemies the Terracotta Army remained hidden for over 2 Millennia until 1974 when local farmers digging a well
in a nearby Field stumbled upon some fragments of clay however despite the fame and glory of the Terracotta Army there is still one mystery that remains unsolved what is inside chin Chi Wang's tomb the tomb itself is located under a large Earthen Mound that rises 76 meters 249 feet above ground level it has never been opened or disturbed by anyone since the emperor's death in 210 BCE there are several reasons why archaeologists are reluctant to enter the tomb one reason is that they are wary of possible dangers or hazards inside the tomb they are not
sure if the ancient traps or mechanisms described by historical sources are still functional or not they also suspect that there could be high levels of mercury inside the tomb which could pose a serious health risk according to historical records chin Shi Huang was obsessed with finding an elixir of immortality and consumed large amounts of mercury pills in his quest for eternal life he also ordered his Craftsman to use mercury to simulate rivers and seas inside his tomb Studies have shown that there are indeed elevated levels of mercury around the tomb area suggesting that there could
be even more inside another reason is that they are concerned about preserving the integrity and authenticity of the Tomb they fear that using invasive methods to access the tomb could damage or destroy valuable historical information or artifacts they also worry that exposing the contents of the Tomb to air or light could cause them to deteriorate or Decay rapidly for example when some terracotta Figures were excavated from their pits their original colors faded or peeled off within minutes due to oxidation archaeologists want to avoid repeating such mistakes with the tomb for these reasons archaeologists have decided
to wait until they have more advanced technology or techniques that can allow on to explore the tomb safely and non-invasively they hope that one day they will be able to reveal the secrets of chin Shi Wang's tomb and learn more about the Life and Legacy of the first emperor of China until then the tomb remains a mystery and a testament to the power and ambition of one of the most influential figures in history thank you for watching this episode of Discovery future if you enjoyed this video please like share and subscribe to our channel for
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