Eight Mysteries of The Qin Shihuang Mausoleum
Experts were amazed at the exquisite decoration and accurate shape of the
chariots. Before this, archaeologists excavated a group of wooden chariots. The
chariots and figures of imperial officers are wooden, while other carriages and
ornaments were made of gold, silver and bronze. Since such exquisite funeral
objects are stored in the outer parts of the underground palace, one can only
imagine the value of the objects inside the underground palace.
Mystery 6: Are the inner and outer coffins made of wood or
copper?
This is not clearly recorded in the Historical Records or the History of The
Han Dynasty. Sima Qian left behind only this ambiguous record: "underneath is
copper and the outer coffin is fine". On this basis, some scholars came to the
conclusion that Qin Shihuang used a copper coffin.
In the Historical Records or the History of The Han Dynastyit is recorded
that "the coffin's inside is solidified with melted copper, and its outer part
is coated with lacquer. " It is reportedly cloaked in pearl and jade and
decorated with emeralds" The coffin and outer coffins described as "having its
exterior coated with lacquer" and "decorated with emeralds" must surely be
wooden. If it was made of copper or stone, it wouldn't be coated with lacquer as
lacquer can only be used on wood.
Under the coffin and outer coffin system practiced during the Qin (221-207
BC) and Western Han (206 BC-24 AD) dynasties only emperors were permitted to use
large wooden outer coffins. It is highly unlikely that the famous and revered
Qin Shihuang e would give up this privilege and use a copper coffin instead.
Mystery 7: Were there automatic anti-theft devices in the
tomb?
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