About 2,230 years ago, there lived a man from Southwest China named Qin Shi Huang, who would go on to conquer and unite the 3rd largest country on the planet before declaring himself ruler under a newly invented title that he called "Emperor." Not only did Qin Shi Huang start the world's oldest and longest-running civilization, but he is also credited by many for creating elaborate highways, an official currency, a written language, a postal service, and the construction of the Great Wall (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). The Qin Dynasty lasted for over three decades until he mysteriously passed away at the age of 49 during a tour with his son, Fusu, who desperately wanted to succeed his father.
The cause of Qin Shi Huang's death remains contested. Still, many historians believe that he died consuming poison under the assumption that he drank an "immortal potion" so he could live forever. What is even more compelling than Qin Shi Huang's death were the intricacies involved in his burial. According to the legend, he was laid to rest within a dragon-shaped sarcophagus inside of what has been described as a "city crypt," complete with 8,000 life-sized warriors from the Terracotta Army (along with their horses), hundreds of chariots, and approximately 40,000 weapons containing mercury. Overall, the "city crypt" extends about 23 square miles.
The ancient burial site lies at the bottom of Lishan Mountain in the Shaanxi Province of China. Archeologists are afraid to disturb the tomb out of fear that it could trigger deadly booby traps from mercury weaponry that is positioned and ready to fire at anyone who dares to enter.
An excerpt IFL Science stated the following concerning the tomb of Qin Shi Huang: "Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows and arrows primed to shoot at anyone who enters the tomb. Mercury was used to simulate the hundred rivers, the Yangtze and Yellow River, and the great sea, and set to flow mechanically..."Highly volatile mercury may be escaping through cracks, which developed in the structure over time, and our investigation supports ancient chronicle records on the tomb, which is believed never to have been opened/looted."
To this day, the emperor's mausoleum has never been opened. Scientists have ascertained that the tomb contains mercury concentrations much higher than initially anticipated.
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