50 years ago, while digging a well in the suburbs of Xi'an, Xi'an, China, people suddenly discovered a terracotta warrior. When the authorities continued to dig the well, they discovered that the soldiers were just one of a giant Terracotta Army guarding a large tomb. It turned out that they discovered the more than 2,000-year-old mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang - the first emperor to unify China.
Half a century later, the legendary tomb continues to reveal its secret, with the latest excavation revealing a mysterious treasure trove that can confirm an ancient Chinese legend: A 16-ton coffin filled with treasure - including armor, weapons, 6,000 coins, pearls, and camels made of gold and silver - excavated from a tomb in a large complex, according to The Daily Express.
This intact tomb is very rare: Neither coffin nor treasure seems to have been robbed by grave thieves for the past two millennia. Most of the ancient tombs were robbed, so we do not have much hope for the coffin storage room. But it turns out, it was not robbed at all. We were surprised, the head of the excavation, Jiang Wenxiao, told Express.
However, fears of the tomb's deterioration have forced archaeologists to dig and check for more than a decade after it was first discovered in 2011.
Now, archaeologists want to determine who is buried inside. Experts commented: "The grand burial shows that he was a remarkable warrior".
The recently excavated tomb is just one of many tombs in the mausoleum, built to honor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China.
According to National Geographic, Qin Shi Huang himself called for the construction of this mausoleum right after he took the throne in 246 BC, when he was only 13 years old.
The great actions of Qin Shi Huang deserve the lavish burial place that he ordered to be built. In addition to destroying the midland countries to unify China, the Qin Dynasty also "standards coins, units measuring, building canals and roads, and is recognized as having built the first version of the Imperial Academy" - National Geographic noted.
Most of what we know about Qin Shi Huang, his tomb construction and the secrets to the unexcavated areas all originate from a 2,000-year-old document called " Shiji," also known as the History of Chinese historical scholar Si Ma Tian.
The historical guide tells the story of the son of Qin Shi Huang, Prince of Gao, who had to suffer a tragic fate. After Qin Shi Huang passed away, his eldest son, Phu To, was said to be crowned. However, due to the deceitful actions of some members of the dynasty, Ho Hoi, the 18th son of Qin Shi Huang, took power.
The story goes that another generation of the Qin Dynasty, Prince Gao, witnessed his brothers and sisters being killed or dying from suicide, so he considered running away. But Prince Gao realized that the family would eventually be hunted down.
According to the Historical records, Prince Gao requested that after dying under their hands, he rest in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. And with this recent excavation, archaeologists are wondering whether the tomb they accidentally discovered contains the remains of Prince Gao.
Hui Ming Tak Ted, a court history expert and associate professor at the University of Oxford (UK), said: For the first time in 2,000 years, we have the opportunity to learn whether what Tu Ma Thien wrote in the History of the Chinese Dynasty is correct.
