China’s Great Riddle
William D. Jackson
HUM 111
Professor Kelsey Konsen
April 29, 2014

China has the largest population of any country on earth. Its economy is expected to surpass that of the United States by 2020. It also has a long and colorful history, and one of the greatest unanswered archaeological riddles of all time. Qin Shi Huang Di, originally named Ying Zheng, changed his name after being crowned the first emperor of China. He is perhaps the most renowned and reviled ruler of Imperial China. His achievements during his fifteen years of rule (221 – 210 BCE) are staggering. Most notable of these is the Great Wall of China, but his greatest accomplishment, and the country’s greatest mystery may well be his own tomb (Sayre, 2011).
Many unanswered questions surround this burial mound. The site achieved world-wide recognition in 1974, when farmers accidently stumbled upon an underground chamber filled with life-size statues. The discovery of the terra cotta warriors has led to a monumental project uncovering four pits, with an estimated 8,000 figures. To date, the entire complex, with all its contents, has yet to be revealed (Jing, 2009).
Historical records indicate the site took at least 700,000 workers to construct over 36 years (originally started in 246 BCE, when Zheng was crowned the king of Qin at the age of thirteen). The pit excavated for the tomb is approximately 820,000 square feet, and dug in layers that reached an overall depth of 100 feet. Si Ma Qian’s Shi Ji, a court historian from the Han Dynasty wrote, “The tomb is filled with models of palaces, pavilions and offices as well as fine vessels, precious stones and rarities.” He indicates the mausoleum contains replicas of the area’s rivers and streams filled with mercury flowing to the sea through hills and mountains of bronze. The vaulted ceiling of the tumulus portrays all the constellations of the night sky with precious stones inlaid to represent the sun, moon, and other stars (Roach, 2014).
Other records show that the emperor was laid to rest in garments of jade and gold. The body rests in a bronze sarcophagus (the discovery of a mummified Chinese female from about the same period as the first emperor raises speculation as to whether his body is also preserved) (Jing, 2009), which was set afloat on the mercury waters. Illuminating the complex is a vast array of torches filled with slow-burning oil, and all the entrances are booby-trapped (Hoh, 2001).
Chemical analysis of the barrow indicates mercury levels considerably higher than is considered normal or safe, lending some creditability to the historical documents. Other tests have shown a chamber with four stair-like walls within the vault (Roach, 2014). Archaeologists believe that the tomb contains a subterranean palace that is 400 feet long, by 525 feet wide (Hoh, 2001).
Of course, nothing can be proven until the crypt is opened. The Chinese government cites a lack of financial and technological resources as an excuse for not allowing archaeologists to excavate (Experts indicate that the tomb needs to be deconstructed layer by layer for public safety, and to preserve the artifacts inside). Foreign support is not an option, as this is China’s founding father; it is a matter of national pride to complete the excavation using only Chinese resources. Until the government gives their blessing on the project, the world can only guess as to what lies inside (Hoh, 2001).
Meanwhile, archaeologists still ponder what the purpose of such an elaborate tomb serves. Virtually all of them agree that it has something to do with the afterlife, but two notable theories are accepted. The most common theory is that it was built to elevate the emperor’s soul into the afterlife. The terra cotta warriors are to either assist him in ruling that other state of being, or in conquering it. While other statues act as his servants, entertainers, and concubines. All the other material possessions buried with his body are to give his spiritual being the same comforts he had in life.
The other theory takes a different approach, instead of helping his psyche to ascend; the mausoleum contains his essence, possibly trapping it. All his possessions are meant to give the illusion of life, while most of the statues serve to keep the spirit comfortable and at peace. The warriors act as a defense against evil spirits (Rawson, 2002). Or do they?
In 2005, Chen Jing Yuan, a scholar of architecture, provided evidence that the terra cotta statues were not built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di. He noted four discrepancies in the dig site. First, the warriors are too far from the tomb (nearly a mile). Historically, all the possessions are buried with the dead. Second, all the tombs uncovered so far, face a north-south direction. The warriors are on the east side of the mausoleum. Third, all the war chariots found at the burial plot have varying wheel widths. One of the changes the emperor implemented was a standardization of wheel dimensions for wagons and chariots. Finally, the emperor required that his soldiers wear black. This army is dressed in red and green robes with purple-blue pants, the traditional colors of the Han dynasty, which destroyed the Qin Empire after Shi Huang Di’s death (Chinascope, 2006). Could the terra cotta warriors have been created, not to protect the emperor’s spirit, but to ensure its captivity? Based on my research, I would conjecture that Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di’s tomb was designed to provide him a luxurious afterlife. What we commonly refer to as “you can take it with you.” The ancient Chinese believed there were very strong ties between life and the afterlife. You essentially changed from one state of being to another, but your existence continued. The various terra cotta statues did not replicate, but embodied the spirits of his servants and warriors, providing for his comforts and securing his position in the celestial hierarchy. Establishing the first emperor’s “little piece of heaven” for eternity (Rawson, 2002).

References
Chinascope. (2006). The Mystery of the Terra Cotta Warriors. Chinascope, 52-53. Retrieved May 1, 2014
Hoh, E. (2001, September). China Great Enigma. Archaeology, 54(5), 34-37. Retrieved May 1, 2014
Jing, X. (2009, August 13). Earthen Army Guards Mysteries. Beijing Review, 52(32), 40-41. Retrieved May 1, 2014
Rawson, J. (2002, May). The power of images: the model universe of the First Emperor and its legacy. Historical Research, 75(188), 123-154. Retrieved May 1, 2014
Roach, R. (2014). emperor-qin. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from National Geographic: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/emperor-qin/
Sayre, H. (2011). The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change (2 ed., Vol. 1). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Retrieved May 1, 2014