Эрдэмтэд 2200 жилийн настай Цинь Ши Хуан хааны бунхныг нээх нь түүхэн ач холбогдолтой боловч эрсдэл өндөр гэж үзэж байна.
МЭӨ 221 онд Хятадыг нэгтгэсэн Цинь Ши Хуан хааны бунхан Шэньси мужид өнөөг хүртэл нээгдээгүй хэвээр байна. Эртний тэмдэглэлүүдэд уг бунхан нь хааны эзэнт гүрнийг илэрхийлэх тансаг ордон, үнэт чулуун тааз, нарийн хийцтэй усан замуудаас бүрддэг болохыг дурджээ. Түүнчлэн уг цогцолборыг хөндлөнгийн хүн нэвтрэхээс сэргийлсэн автомат нум сум, нуранги үүсгэх хамгаалалттай, мөн мөнгөн усны голтой гэж тэмдэглэсэн байдаг.
Газрын хөрсөнд хийсэн шинжилгээгээр мөнгөн усны агууламж байгалийн түвшнээс хэт өндөр байгаа нь тогтоогдсон нь эртний энэхүү домог мэт яриаг батлах магадлалтай байна. Мөнгөн ус нь өндөр хортой, уурших үедээ амь насанд аюултай тул ирээдүйн малтлагад томоохон эрсдэл дагуулдаг. Эрдэмтдийн дунд бунхныг нээх эсэх тал дээр санал зөрөлдөөнтэй байгаа бөгөөд агаар нэвтрүүлэх нь доторх эд өлгийн зүйлсийг гэмтээж болзошгүй гэж болгоомжилж байна.
1974 онд илэрсэн “Терракота цэргүүд” буюу 8000 орчим шавар цэрэг, хэдэн зуун морь, тэрэг бүхий олдвор нь уг бунхны цогцолборын зөвхөн нэг хэсэг юм. Олдворуудын хийц, ялангуяа 2000 гаруй жилийн настай хүрэл зэвсгүүд нь тухайн үеийн технологийн дэвшлийг харуулж байна. Одоогийн байдлаар археологичид бунхныг биечлэн нээхээс зайлсхийж, газрын гүний радар болон соронзон дүрслэлийн аргаар судалгаа хийж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
For more than 2,200 years, the tomb of Qin Shi Huang has lain untouched under a huge earthen mound in Shaanxi Province. Ancient accounts speak of treasures, lethal traps and a river of mercury, and no one has yet dared to open it. Whether the legends are true remains an open question.
Qin Shi Huang unified China in 221 BCE, and he wanted a burial place that matched his power. The result was an underground complex meant to defy time and guard its owner’s secrets.
Part of his funerary world has already come to light, and it ranks among the most significant archaeological discoveries ever made. The main chamber, though, is still sealed, and scholars are divided over what should happen next.
A Fortress Meant to Last Forever
According to ancient records, the mausoleum holds a miniature replica of the emperor’s empire, complete with lavish palaces, jeweled ceilings and intricate waterways. It was not only a showpiece, however. The tomb was also conceived as a stronghold that no intruder could breach.
Historical texts describe a series of lethal defenses. Automated crossbows were reportedly set to fire at anyone who entered, and collapsing passageways were designed to seal off access. The most ominous feature is the legendary river of liquid mercury, supposedly built inside to represent China’s great rivers.
It sounds like pure myth, and you could be forgiven for shrugging it off. Yet soil tests around the burial site have revealed unusually high mercury levels, far above what would occur naturally. That matters, because mercury is highly toxic and its vapors can be fatal when inhaled, a serious risk for any future excavation.
A Silent Army?
Although the tomb itself stays closed, part of the complex was uncovered in 1974. That find produced the Terracotta Army, a force of some 8,000 life-sized soldier statues buried to protect the emperor in the afterlife. They stand in perfect military formation.
The craftsmanship is startling. Each warrior has distinct facial features, detailed armor and carefully sculpted weapons. Excavations have also turned up more than 600 horses and hundreds of chariots, all arranged with remarkable precision. Then there are the weapons, as reported by Futura-Sciences, many of the bronze pieces found alongside the figures are still sharp after more than two millennia, which says a good deal about the technological sophistication of the Qin Dynasty.
Archaeologists believe the army is only one element of a vast underground necropolis, and that this necropolis extends well beyond what has been dug up so far.
To Open or Not to Open?
The question of excavation continues to split scholars. Opening the tomb could yield priceless artifacts and shed new light on the early Chinese empire. Against that stand the risks, which are considerable.
Exposure to air could speed the decay of the tomb’s contents. This has happened before: some Terracotta Warriors lost their vibrant paint within hours of excavation. And if the mercury theory holds, disturbing the tomb could pose a serious health hazard to the researchers themselves. Many people believe that disturbing Qin Shi Huang’s resting place would violate Chinese traditions and beliefs, which adds weight that no technical argument can fully settle.
For now, archaeologists are favoring non-invasive methods such as ground-penetrating radar and magnetic imaging, which allow them to study the tomb without physically opening it. The emperor’s secrets will keep a while longer.
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