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Home> China City Guide> Xi'an> The Terra-Cotta Warriors >The Buried Ground of Emperor Qin
Providing detailed information about one of the most significant modern archaeological finds, the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin.
Qin Shi Huang Burial Grounds
This splendid necropolis apparently depicting the whole of China in miniature is centered under the 47-meter-high (154 ft) mound. Some survey indicates that the ceiling is studded with jewels depicting the sky, and mercury was pumped in mechanically to create images of flowing river. Trial digs have revealed high contents of mercury in the soil. However, the official entrance to the tomb has yet to be found. It is said that workers and supervisors involved in its design and construction were buried alive within the tomb. Some speculations say that the Emperor was so superstitious and fearful that he had the necropolis built as a decoy and was, in fact, buried somewhere else.
The Qin Mausoleum, located in Lintong County, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, is surrounded by the Lishan Mountains to the south and the Weihe River to the north. Five peaks in the Lishan Mountains served as a backdrop for the rarely seen " lotus tomb" which coincides traditional Chinese geomantic omens. The site, surrounded by mountains and rivers, was an ideal burial site for feudal emperors who believed they would lead a new life in another world.
Construction of the Qin Mausoleum, the largest imperial tomb in China, began in 247 B. C. soon after Qin Shi Huang ascended to the throne and was still underway at his death 210 B. C. Construction of auxiliary projects was halted in 208 B. C. when troops surrounded the imperial capital during an uprising.
Numerous groups of people worked on the 39-years construction project, from high-ranking officials such as Prime Minister Li Si who was in charge of the work, to criminals forced to do manual labor. As many as 720,000 workers from across the country helped construct the tomb.
Criminals were forced to cut and transport massive logs from a thousand miles away, as well as large stones from hundreds of miles distant. Numerous laborers died from hard labor carried out for many years. The unmatched immense magnificent mausoleum represents a solemn, but nonetheless stirring segment in the history of China.
The mausoleum, which covers 56.25 square km. was designed in accordance with the layout of the emperor's capital. The original tomb, measuring some II 5 meters in height, was covered with dirt. The remaining7 6meters of the structure resemble a topless pyramid. A city wall, measuring four meters in height and four meters in width, encircles the buried palace. The wall, constructed of unfired bricks, has gates on four sides.
The tomb was originally surrounded by two rectangular walls some eight meters thick, with the outer wall stretching 6,264 meters and the inner 3,870 meters. Both walls featured comer towers and broad gates on four sides, with the arrangement resembling a real city. Pieces of tile, gate stones and piles of red soil are all that remain of the once magnificent structure. High walls , measuring one meter in height, can be found in Yuejiagou and Xiachen villages located at the southern end of the tomb complex. The sections allow one the southern end of the tomb complex. The sections allow one to clearly see the denseness of layers which are between five and seven centimeters thick. The thick flat loam walls, which are strong as bricks, represent the wonderful craftsmanship found thousands of years ago.
Hundreds of auxiliary tombs, both large and small, have been found inside and outside the walls of the cemetery, including IO sacrificial trenches, with the complex symbolizing the overall layout of the capital. Ongoing archeological work continues to yield more traces of structures and artifacts, including the imperial burial palace, side palaces, gardens and temples. The excavated sites include the bronze cart and horse trench, the western tomb construction site, horse trench, rare bird and animal trench, tombs for the princes and princesses of Shangjiao Village and tomb builders from Zhaobeihu Village. Each of the sites has enriched our knowledge and understanding of the Qin system, culture, clothing and material civilization. The discoveries have not only peaked our curiosity, but also offer bright prospects for archeological work.
(1) Remains of the Mausoleum
The mausoleum was once a brilliant architectural complex with numerous buildings. Archaeologists working over sev- eral decades have discovered and excavated several dozen construction sites covering tens of thousands' of square meters, including the most important large tomb, gardens, temples and houses.
The square ruins of the imperial burial palace cover 3,575 square meters on the north side of the tomb. The structure has a finely crafted pedestal foundation, and is thought to have been constructed with a hipped-roof encircled by single winding corridors. Broken pieces of tile and red clay are scattered across the area, with interior sections of white-washed walls coated with mixture of earth and wheat grass. The bases of stone columns and neatly arranged apron are still easily distinguishable around the site. The imperial burial palace, which appears to have been based on the pre-Qin tomb style, was built as an integral component close to the main tomb, instead of inside it. This particular approach represented the introduction of a new system for constructing mausoleums.
A group of six buildings stretching east to west are found some 50 meters north of the imperial burial palace. The large site, which covers 4,800 square meters, is 240 meters long from east to west and 20 meters wide. Most of the hipped roof or quadrangular buildings face north, with a small group facing west. The 50 meter long flagstone apron, 55cm square plinth stones, drainage ditch, finely crafted stone water drainage system and red interior walls show the architectural skill and magnificence of the construction itself.
Large foundations are found on a site with four buildings laid out east to west which is located further to the north. The solid smooth floors, blue flat stones inlaid in the walls, stone steps, ridge ornaments shaped like and owl's tail, eaves tiles and knocker base are all extremely attractive. The exquisitely crafted corrosive-proof tiles, with a diameter of 61 cm amazing, are decorated with vivid patterns and were designed to protect the tenons. The highly artistic architecture enables one to easily imagine the former grandeur of the ancient mausoleum.
Gardens, temples and houses have been found in three separate locations in the western section of the complex, both inside and outside the walls. Large numbers o cloud-shaped tiles and other building materials have also been unearthed, along with dozen of objects such a bronze bell inlaid with gold and silver. The bell, carved with "Yue Fu", is a rare treasure indeed. It provides ample proof that the Qin established a "Yue Fu" office responsible for collecting folk songs and ballads to entertain the imperial court. It also indicates the colorful life of the period existing in spite of the stifling environment prevailing under the dictatorship of feudal rulers.
(2) Sacrificial Trenches
A group of sacrificial cart and horse trenches covering 3,025 square meters were unearthed some 20 meters west of the Qin Mausoleum. One trench, measuring seven meters in length and 2.3 meters in width, was excavated in 1980 and yielded two large colored and decorated bronze carts and horses. The combination of carts and horses reveal the high level skill of Chinese forefathers and show the complicated style of carts, casting and sculpturing and processing techniques characteristic of the period.
The large number of horses butted with the dead is indicative of the importance the animals played in daily life. Sac6ficial horse,trenches have been unearthed in two locations, one in the eastern part of the outer tomb wall, and the other between the inner and outer walls. Their location indicates that Qin Shi Huang had stables both inside and outside the capital city.
Ninety-nine horse trenches, most of which hold one horse, have been excavated in the outer sacrificial stable. -The horses are closely arranged in three line formations running from the More than 1,000 Pottery figurines and real weapons have south to the north. Despite the fact that only skeletal remains exist, a knife found in the mouth of one horse indicates that horses were killed prior to burial. Many painted figurines of kneeling horsemen have also been found. The vivid masterpieces of art are still in good condition. Various unearthed objects bear inscriptions such as "middle stable", "palace stable", "left stable" and "small stable". Similar names found in the "Jiuyuan Lu" (imperial stables) section of the "Written Bamboo Slips of Qin Mausoleum" clearly show the functions of the stables.
The stables feature quite different layouts, with the inner stable found in the large L-shaped trench featuring wood stalls. Each stail holds an orderly array of three horses. Several hundred horses were unearthed in the trenches along with a number of figurines of horsemanship instructors standing behierarchy is readily discernible when compared the previously mentioned figurines with those of other horsemen measuring 70cm in height.
Sacrificial trenches of rare birds and animals were discovered in the western section between the outer and inner walls. The 31 trenches are arranged in three lines running from the south to the north. Each trench in the middle line holds an earthen coffin filled with bones, with animals buried separately according to their species. Metal rigs found around the necks of some horses indicate that they were once tied in their stables. All trenches in the outer two lines yielded a kneeling figurine measuring between 68-73cm in height. The figurines most likely represent stablemen.
The largest and most attractive sacrificial trench is without a doubt the one holding the Qin terra cotta army. Three trenches, which cover over20,000 square meters, hold well over 7,000 life-size terra cotta horses and armoured warriors.
been discovered in the small one-sixth section of the No. I Trench thus far excavated. The monumental discovery has indeed caught the attention of hundreds of thousands people from throughout the world.
(3) Auxiliary Tombs Reveal Obsession With Hierarchy
Auxiliary tombs are found in four sections of the Qin Mausoleum: the northern section in the city itself features 28 small to medium size auxiliary; with other tombs found in the western section between the city walls, and the outer eastem and western sections.
The largest auxiliary tomb is found in the western section of the city. The inner area of the tomb measures 15.5 meters in length and 14.5 meters in width, and is fronted by an entry pathway stretching 15.8 meters. A red coat of paint and ashes have been discovered in the tomb. The position and standard characteristics of the structure tells that the owner should be Prince Gao, Qin Shi Huang's son who chose death rather than the throne and requested "to be buried at the foot of Lishan Mountain near his father". Second emperor Hu Hai gave Gao I 00,000 coins for funeral expenses.
A mysterious group of 48 auxiliary tombs have been found in the western section between the inner and outer walls. The fact than nothing has been found in the tombs adds even greater mystery to the burial site.
Auxiliary tombs found in Shangjiao Village to the east of the outer wall have also attracted great attention. The 1 7 tombs are neatly arranged in a single line stretching from the south to the north. Eight tombs excavated in 1976 yielded 200piecesgoldandsilver, as well as a number of sacrificial objects made of bronze and iron. Various objects were inscribed with the words "Shao Fu" (Young Master's Mansion) or with"RongLu" (Honor and Fortune), with other objects including personal stamps and letters. The objects indicate that the tombs held the remains of members of the royal family. The scene offers evidence that the victims, between 23-30 years of age, were murdered, with the mutilated bodies of some chopped into several pieces, and still others having been shot or hanged.
One history book points to the fact that the auxiliary tombs hold the remains of princes and princesses killed by Hu Hai after he usurped power and the throne. Hu Hai was afraid the brothers and sisters would imperil his power and thus ordered their death. He then granted the honor of"accompanying their father".
Two auxiliary tomb sites are thought to have existed three miles southwest of the Qin Mausoleum. However, thetomb once located north of Yaochitou Village was apparently damaged beyond recognition and has not as yet been located. The second tomb to the west of Zhaobeihu Village covers 8,100 square meters, with the overall layout measuring 180 meters in length from the south to the north and 45 meters in width.
The 103 tombs in burial site #32 were excavated in 1978. The tombs held the skeletal remains of l00 people, but failed to yield coffins or other objects. A single tomb, however, did hold one simple tile coffin. Inscriptions found on tile pieces recorded the native homes, names, positions and job titles of 19 entombed people. The inscriptions indicate the people from six conquered states were sentenced to hard labor because of the inability to pay various types of fines. The pieces represent the earliest tomb inscriptions found in China.
(4) Mysterious Underground Palace
"Records of the Historian: Biographic Sketches of Qin Shi Huang", the earliest and most dependable record, states: "Qin Shi Huang gained power and shortly thereafter began building his tomb on Lishan Mountain. More than 700,000 people from across the country participated in the construction project. The dug deep into the earth, fashioned outer coffins with melted copper and buried money, valuables and treasures, as well as rare birds and animals. Crossbows were installed to kill any one attempting to rob the tomb. Mercury was used to symbolize surging rivers, lakes and the sea. The tomb held everything in the world, including objects related to astronomy and geography. Lamps were filled with 'renyu' cream to ensure an eternal flame".SimaQian, author of the afore mentioned work, provided a detailed depiction of the miraculous tomb.
Archeologists and experts from many other disciplines have worked together to explore the secrets of Qin Shi Huang's underground palace. Between 1981-1982, Chang Yong and Li Tong worked under the leadership of professors Xie Xuejin and Zheng Kangle and in close cooperation with the archeological team to test the mercury content in the center section of the sealed Qin Mausoleum. They found that a 12,000 square-meter area contained an unusually strong mercury content. The variations of travelling mercury was 70-150OPPb, a level more than IO times that of dirt in surrounding areas. The differing levels quite obviously resulted from the volatilization and infiltration of mercury bused in rounding areas. The differing levels quite obviously resulted from the volatilization and infiltration of mercury buried in the tomb, and thus proved the accuracy of Sima Qian's descriptions.
The use of such a large quantity of mercury to symbolize rivers, lakes and the sea to differentiate between the human and nether worlds quite obviously symbolize that the emperor would always rule the land. Ancient people referred to water as a symbol of longitude and when building the tomb applied the concept to create geographical features such as mountains and rivers for the dead. To some extent, at least, this not only reflected the development of geographical science in ancient China, but also the characteristic design of the Qin Mausoleum which pursued the unique and involved bold creative imaginations. Ancient people pursued the imperial eternity and attempted to perfect the imaginary in terms of reality. They indeed wanted the rivers and sea to flow for eternity. The design established an unequalled record which will never again be matched. The feat also reveals the Qin achievement in the development and use of mercury.
Astronomical features in the buried palace are reflected in paintings. "Studies of Terra Cotta Soldiers and Horses of the Qin Dynasty", written by Shaanxi Archeologist Yuan Zhongyi, describes the astronomical paintings in the tomb thusly: "A golden toad symbolizing the sun, ajade hare the moon and other stars in a round red design. " Astronomical paintings of this kind were first found in the Zengbouyi Tomb, a tomb dating to the early Warring States Period (475-221 B. C.), in Suixian County, Hubei Province. Similar works were later found in various Western Han Tombs (206 B. C. -24 A. D. in Luoyang, Henan Province, and were, in fact, recently unearthed from another Westem Han Tomb on the campus of Xi'an Communications University in Shaanxi Province. The discoveries have readily proved Yuan's conjecture.
The work "Hundreds Imperial Palaces" describes buried palaces as models of imperial palaces. Qin Shi Huang spent his lifetime abusing available manpower to build numerous pavilions and villas for his travels. The E'Pang Palace was still under construction at his death, and models of various structures were buried in his tomb.
What are the actual dimensions of tombs with such a rich content?
"Records of the Histodan" and "The Han Book" point out that underground palaces were usually built at a depth reaching or slightly below the third layer of ground water. In 1982, the Qin Mausoleum Archeological Team cleared a Qin well located in the northwestern section between the inner and outer walls and measured the existing water level at 16 meters deep. The discovery led to the inference that the underground palace was constructed at a depth of 20 meters or more. Intact, the tomb of one Qin duke, whose social status would have in no way compared with that of Qin Shi Huang, was constructed at a depth of 25 meters. "The Old Han Rites" stipulates that a Han emperor's tomb should be constructed at a depth of 30 meters and should cover 6.6666 hactares. The depth of the Qin Mausoleum, a structure which is much larger than a Han tomb, has thus been estimated at over 30 meters.
The first problem when constructing a deep underground palace centered on preventing ground water seepage. The classic work entitled "The Han Book, the Biography of Jia Shan" records the following clue to the process: "Line the walls with stones, solidify the interior wall with melted copper, and coat the outer wall with red lacquer. " A further clarification in "The Han Book" reads: "Prevent ground water seepage be using stones and painting the exterior wall with lacquer. "
Construction of the tomb required a large quantity of stones. Various historical documents concerning construction of the tomb note that hundreds of thousands of criminals were forced to carry stones from the North Mountains. The stone processing site in Zhengjia Village shows that at least 750,000 square meters of stones were used to construct the Qin Mausoleum.
Stones used for the mausoleum were carved with beautiful pattens and painted with moisture-proof red lacquer. Seams between the stones was filled with melted copper and tin. An even more complicated, and as yet undetermined, method was undoubtedly used to cover the mouths of springs. One hint to the process can be found at the tomb of Empress Wu Ze Tian of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Seams between stones were filled with melted iron to prevent ground water from seeping into the tomb.
Vafious surveys have indicated that the top of the Qin underground palace measures 460 meters in length from the south to the north and 392 meters in width. Based on architectural principles and comparing degradation slopes in other large tombs indicates that the floor of the palace rests at a depth of 50 meters, with the edges of the rectanglar stretching about250meters each. The area of the ground water surface is thought to be much larger, with estimates of the edge searching as high as 320 meters. According to said estimates, the area under the ground water level covers at least 300,000 square meters, and was constructed using stones and seams filled with melted copper. Constructing such a grand and complicated project world be difficult to achieve even today. The primary focus of the extensive construction efforts,
including the use of mercury and secret crossbows, was to prevent intrusions by grave robbers. The practice of robbing tombs was simply an auxiliary result of elaborate funeral customs. Grave robbers, which appeared as early as the Warring States Period, were a major concern of both the imperial and wealthy families.'Designers racked their brains to ensure the security of the Qin Mausoleum, the most luxurious tomb in China, with history proving their success. Not a single sign has yet been found indicating that the security of the tomb has been breached. Archeological surveys verify the integrity of all walls and gates, as well as earthen seal covering the tomb. However, several holes reaching a depth of some IO meters indicate attempts by would-be grave robbers. Successfully robbing the secure tomb would have indeed required a herculean effort. Archaeologists are quite obviously delighted that the treasures of the Qin Mausoleum have remained safely in the nether world awaiting excavation.
(5) Other Ruins
Many other tombs, unrelated to the Qin Mausoleum, have been found in the area, including ruins at the Five-Ranges Dam, the Zhengjia Village Stone Processing Site and the Fish-pond Site. Intensified archeological work is expected to yield even more fascinating discoveries.
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The Buried Ground of Emperor Qin
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