Mercury in the underworld: Terracotta Army of Emperor China, what secrets it hides (photo)

To spread: the underground funeral complex of Chinese Emperor Qin Shihuandi is the largest mausoleum that was built for one person. It is located under a high mound. Sometimes the terracotta army, which was discovered in this complex, is called the eighth miracle of the world, although it is an unofficial nickname. More than 8,000 thousand soldiers are one of the most striking monuments of the ancient world. IFLSCIENCE writes about it.

The construction of a funeral complex created for Emperor China Zin Shikhuandi, who united the country 221 BC, was completed about 208 BC. This is the largest burial place in the world has an area of ​​56 square kilometers, and it is located near the city of Sig. In focus, technology appeared its Telegram channel.

Subscribe not to miss the latest and most intrusive news from the world of science! It was in this complex that the famous terracotta army, consisting of more than 8,000 soldiers, was discovered. There were no historical records of this army, and that it existed, it was possible to find out due to the accidental find of clay fragments during the construction of an artesian well in 1974.

Archaeologists believe that the terracotta army was created to accompany the emperor in the other life and to symbolize his power. The army consists of thousands of terracotta (burned clay) figures of warriors who stand in order and armed with bronze weapons. Despite their age, the warriors are in good condition. Each figure of a warrior has unique facial features, hairstyles and clothing details. There are no two exactly the same soldiers. The figures include infantrymen, cavalrymen and officers.

Each statue has an average height of 1. 8 meters, which makes them higher than the average height of China residents 2200 years ago. According to archaeologists, the statues were painted, but they lost their color because of the impact of air during excavations. These warriors are believed to be one of the earliest known examples of mass production.

In the creation of the army, according to scientists, a huge number of artisans and workers participated, possibly hundreds of thousands of people who also built a funeral complex. The heads, hands and other parts of the bodies of the soldiers were made separately from clay, then collected, detailed manually and burned in the furnace. In addition to warriors, the terracotta army consists of clay more than 130 chariots and 600 horses.

Archaeologists also discovered statues of officials, acrobats, musicians and other courtiers, which indicates the creation of a whole underworld for the emperor. Historians believe that all these figures were created to serve Emperor Zin Shikhuandi in the afterlife. Qin Shihuandi, which united China, introduced a single currency and created a standardized system of writing, was also obsessed with the search for eternal life.

He consulted with alchemists and drank elixirs containing mercury, which could lead to his death. Fifty years after the discovery of the funeral complex, archaeologists have just begun to reveal the secrets of Qin Shiuandi mausoleum. It is worth saying that the tomb of the emperor, located under the mound, has not yet been revealed. Although there is fears that the tomb can contain mines and toxic mercury, the main reason is fears that excavations of the tomb can cause serious harm to it.

Mercury, according to Chinese historical sources, was used in the burial place of the emperor to reproduce the famous rivers of China. In 1987, the Terracotta Army and the entire Mausoleum of Qin Shihuandi were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Excavations in the territory of the funeral complex are still ongoing. As focus has already wrote, last year archaeologists have discovered new statues of terracotta warriors in Qin Shiuandi Mausoleum.