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Could cosmic rays unlock the secret tomb of China’s Qin Shi Huang guarded by terracotta warriors?
- A Chinese government study is assessing the feasibility of using advanced detectors to pinpoint the remains and treasures of the first emperor of China
- When the burial complex was completed around 208BC, all the workers and craftsmen were reportedly trapped and killed to keep its secrets inside
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Cosmic rays could help archaeologists pinpoint the secret chamber holding the remains and treasures of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, according to a Chinese government-funded study.
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Xian, Shaanxi province, was built by hundreds of thousands of labourers over nearly four decades and finished around 208BC, according to Han dynasty historian Sima Qian, who lived soon after that period.
With a total area more than 70 times the size of the Forbidden City, it is the biggest tomb ever built for an individual in the world.
The tomb’s surface buildings are no longer standing, but its underground structures are mostly still intact. Some archaeologists believe the central chamber that housed the emperor’s coffin and most valuable treasures remain undisturbed after they combed the entire field and found no holes indicating thieves had been at work.
The study, funded by the central government to evaluate the feasibility of the cosmic ray project, found at least two cosmic ray detectors would be needed, to be planted in different locations less than 100 metres (328 feet) under the surface of the tomb.
These devices, each about the size of a washing machine, could detect subatomic particles of cosmic origin piercing the ground.
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