The First Emperor’s Grave

Almost thirty years ago, two men were digging a well. They were farmers who lived near the city of Xi’an, in the middle of China. The morning was hot; the sun beat down, and the two men were sweating and thirsty.

“Let’s stop for a drink,” one of the farmers said to his friend.

“Oh, let’s just dig a little longer,” his friend answered. “We’re bound to hit water soon.”

So they kept digging. The ground was hard, and the dirt they turned up was red and rocky. Soon their shovels began to turn up pieces of broken pottery.

“Someone broke a pot here,” the first farmer said.

“Those pieces are too big for a pot!” his friend said. “And look. That piece looks like … an arm!”

The two friends kept digging. They found broken arms and legs made out of clay—and even a head, wearing a helmet! Soon, word of their discoveries spread to the city of Xi’an. Archaeologists living in the city hurried out to see what the farmers had found. They began to dig deeper and deeper.

They found a huge underground pit filled with three thousand soldiers, made out of clay baked hard. The soldiers were life-size! And buried along with the soldiers were sharp shining weapons, full-sized horses also made out of clay, and wooden war chariots! The horses wore clay saddles, and harnesses made from gold and bronze. As the archaeologists uncovered each soldier, they saw that every single face was different—molded to look like a real person. No two soldiers were the same! And all the soldiers were facing east, as though they were guarding something behind them. What were they guarding?

They were guarding the tomb of Shi Huangdi.

You see, the First Emperor of China wanted to live forever. He spent the last part of his life looking for the Water of Eternal Life, a legendary drink that would keep him from dying. He made five different trips into the mountains of China, looking for this Water.

But he never found it. And when he knew that his death was near, he ordered a great underground city, more than nine miles wide, built for his tomb. He hoped that his body would stay forever in this city. Shi Huangdi ordered his crown, robe, and royal bed placed in one of the chambers. He commanded his servants to enter the chamber every day, even after his death, to make the bed and bring water and food—just as though he were still alive!

So far, archaeologists have found three pits filled with clay soldiers. At the center of the underground city, a huge burial mound rises up above the ground. Underneath this burial mound, archaeologists hope to find the body of Shi Huangdi itself. But the mound still hasn’t been excavated. Ancient Chinese writers, describing Shi Huangdi’s underground city, tell us that the tomb itself is far, far below the mound—almost a hundred feet below the surface of the ground. The tomb is made of stone, covered with melted copper to keep the water out.

What is inside the burial mound? We don’t know for sure. But shortly after the death of Shi Huangdi, an ancient Chinese historian described the burial chamber like this:

Rare treasures and jewels, removed from various palaces, towers and halls, filled the grave. Craftsmen were ordered to set arrows on crossbows, which would shoot automatically at anyone breaking in. Rivers and seas in miniature were dug and filled with mercury, made to flow by mechanical devices. On the ceiling, stars and planets were set. Candles were lighted, burning fish fat, so that they might keep the grave chambers lit for a long time.

Does the burial mound really contain all of these wonders? Well, archaeologists have already discovered that the ground around the mound contains mercury—a silver metal that flows like water. This mercury must have come from inside the mound.

One day, archaeologists will open the mound and look inside. Let’s hope that they watch out for those automatic crossbows!

Note to Parent: The “Period of the Warring States” began around 500 BC/BCE. Qin Zheng’s forced unification began around 230 BC/BCE; the first united Chinese empire dates from 221 BC/BCE. The burning of the books took place in 212 BC/BCE. Construction of the Great Wall of China began in 214 BC/BCE and continued for several centuries.