The
tomb complex of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di contains an estimated 8,000
lifelike clay soldiers, as well as mass graves and evidence of a brutal
power grab.
Photograph by O. LOUIS MAZZATENTA, National Geographic Creative
Photograph by O. LOUIS MAZZATENTA, National Geographic Creative
In
the four decades since mysterious terra-cotta statues first came to
light in northern China, archaeologists have uncovered a whole lifelike
army. But that wasn’t the only secret hidden underground there. Stunning
revelations are now rewriting the history of the great ruler who
created this army as part of his final resting place. And a radical new
theory even suggests that foreign artists trained his craftsmen.
Known today as the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di
left a legacy that would make him a towering figure in Chinese history.
By the time he died in 210 B.C., he had united warring kingdoms into
one country, put an end to feudalism, and built the Great Wall that
endures today as a monument to his power.
China's Terra-Cotta Warriors The
explore team visits the tomb of the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses,
where there is a ceramic army of as many as 8,000 life-sized,
intricately carved statues modeled after Emperor Qin's army.
But
his most stunning project first came to light in 1974 when farmers
uncovered strange figures while digging a well near the old Chinese
capital of Xianyang. Excavations have since revealed sections of a grand
funerary complex. Three huge pits harbor several thousand warriors,
presumably meant to protect the emperor for eternity. These statues were
unlike anything ever uncovered before in China. And that raises a big
question: How could the royal artists have come up with such an idea?
Experts
identify these terra-cotta figures as acrobats. Some believe the
sculptures' lifelike details are evidence of Greek artistic influence.
Photograph by Brook Lapping Productions
Photograph by Brook Lapping Productions
Scientists
have gathered a variety of provocative clues: Terra-cotta acrobats and
bronze figures of ducks, swans, and cranes uncovered at the royal tomb
complex may show evidence of Greek influence. And European DNA has been
recovered from skeletons at a site in northwestern China.
Putting
these together, experts have worked out a theory: Inspiration for the
terra-cotta army may have come from foreign artists. Traveling from
Hellenized areas of Western Asia and arriving in China 1,500 years
before Marco Polo, they could have trained the local craftsmen who
furnished the emperor’s tomb with statuary. (Learn more about how the
terra-cotta warriors were made here.)
China's Megatomb Revealed
Scientists
using remote sensing, ground-penetrating radar, and core sampling have
also revealed the emperor’s tomb complex to be much larger than once
believed—almost 38 square miles (some 98 square kilometers). At its
heart stands a tall earthen mound that covers the ruler’s tomb, which
remains sealed. Many other people were also buried at the site.
Archaeologists have discovered mass graves that appear to hold the
remains of the craftsmen and laborers—including convicted criminals in
chains—who died during the three decades it took to create the royal
mausoleum. Other mass burials seem to tell grisly tales of a brutal
struggle to capture the emperor’s throne.
25-33 ft
Sites of additional finds
Excavations revealed many pits within
and
outside the walls of this complex. Replicas of chariots, stone suits of
armor, birds cast in bronze,and terra-cotta figures such as acrobats
came to light, along with the remains of real horses and other animals.
Terra-Cotta Army
Workers’ Burials
Artisans,
craftsmen, and laborers who died during the 36 years it took to build
this complex were buried here. Some were identified by a ceramic tile
fragment that served as a tombstone.
Murdered Princes
One
of the first emperor’s many sons killed his brothers to gain the
throne. Those royals may lie here. The skeletons are mostly male, and
the tip of an arrow splits one of the skulls.
Mutilated Skeletons
Several
of the 90-some tombs in this central location have been opened. All
were empty, but body parts lay in the doorways. Are these the executed
concubines, mysteriously ravaged?
Emperor’s Tomb
Historical
records say Qin Shi Huang Di created a replica of his realm as his
final resting place. Archaeologists have not yet dug here, fearing that
exposure might damage any buried treasures.
Punished Convicts
Tools
for dressing construction stones were found at this factory site. Iron
handcuffs and collars suggest the workers were criminals sentenced to
hard labor.
Terra-Cotta Army
An
estimated 8,000 statues of warriors were buried in three pits less than
a mile from the emperor’s tomb. Many faced east, the most likely
direction of an attack.
DAISY CHUNG AND Andrew Umentum, ngm staff; Manyun Zou.
Sources: Zhang Weixing and Xiuzhen Li, Archaeology Department, Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum;
Roberto Ciarla, “Giuseppe Tucci” National Museum of Oriental Art
Chinese Game of Thrones
Despite
the brilliance and power of the First Emperor, he was unable to make
sure his eldest son succeeded him. It was a failure that had devastating
consequences. Experts now believe it may have launched a bloodbath—and
ultimately brought a swift end to the dynasty that Qin Shi Huang Di
founded.
An
account written in about 89 B.C. by Sima Qian, an official in the second
dynasty, describes a time of deadly palace intrigue: One of the
emperor’s many sons conspired with the chief eunuch to murder his oldest
brother, the emperor’s presumed heir, and to seize the throne himself.
Now
archaeologists have found tantalizing clues that the power grab was
even more brutal than Sima Qian described. A group of skeletons was
found with artifacts belonging to the royal family. These were mostly
males, possibly the deceased emperor’s sons. One skull offers clues to
their fate. It’s split by the metal bolt from a crossbow, likely shot at
close range. Experts now believe these young princes may have been
executed by their ambitious sibling who was trying to secure the throne
for himself.
A
metal bolt shot from a crossbow remains lodged in this male skull. He
may have been a prince who was murdered in a bloody struggle for his
father's throne.
Photograph by Brook Lapping Productions
Photograph by Brook Lapping Productions
In
another area, very close to the emperor’s burial, archaeologists have
identified a group of about a hundred tombs. But after excavating
several, they’re still unsure of what they’ve found. The burial chambers
are empty, and body parts lie strewn in the doorways along with a
scattering of pearls and pieces of gold. Were these the royal
concubines, buried near the deceased emperor to serve him in the next
world as they had in this life? Or do these graves represent something
sinister?
According
to the account left by Sima Qian, the new emperor—the usurper—killed
many of his father’s concubines. Sad as it may seem, that move would
have made sense to someone whose claim to the throne was shaky. The
usurper had already killed the heir apparent and also likely did away
with other brothers who were potential rivals. But what if some of the
concubines were pregnant? And what if one were to give birth to a boy
who was then hidden, brought up in secret, trained to be a great
warrior, and finally presented as a fully grown man able to overthrow
his much older brother and take their father’s title and territories for
himself?
In
thinking through this worst-case scenario, there would have been no
choice. The women had to die. But why their bodies were dismembered is
unclear. Perhaps clues will turn up in the many burials that are still
to be excavated.
The skull and leg bones of a young female are likely the remains of a concubine found near the emperor's burial.
Photograph by Brook Lapping Productions
Photograph by Brook Lapping Productions
In
the end, though, all the bloodshed was for naught. The usurper, Qin Er
Shi, couldn’t begin to fill his father’s shoes. His rule lasted a mere
three years, and his family’s dynasty was soon overthrown. The first
emperor’s tomb surely holds many more surprises, but archaeologists have
no plans to excavate it in the near future. Exposing fragile artifacts
to air and light might damage them beyond repair, it’s feared, so the
tomb will most likely stay buried until radically new conservation
technologies are discovered in the future.
Sima
Qian wrote that the emperor was laid to rest in a bronze coffin, and
his burial chamber was filled with lavish grave goods—replicas of
palaces, rivers of mercury, “rare utensils and wonderful objects.” But
Sima Qian was writing more than a century after the first emperor’s
death. Could he really have gotten all the details right?
Some
of his statements seem too over the top to be true—that the emperor
pressed 700,000 laborers and convicts into service to build his grand
funerary landscape, for example. And Sima Qian seems to have skipped
over some important features altogether, offering not one word about the
creation of the terra-cotta army.
But
in light of the evidence for royal murders before the unlikely
succession of a very junior prince, it seems entirely possible that his
description of the royal burial chamber is accurate—and that
archaeologists will someday uncover Qin Shi Huang Di’s fabled trove of
treasures.
China's Megatomb Revealed airs in the U.S. on Sunday, October 23, at 9/8c and globally on National Geographic Channel (excluding the UK) beginning Sunday, October 16.
Ann Williams is a senior writer for National Geographic magazine and online news.
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