New evidence may reveal the source of mercury in the tomb of the First Emperor [View all]

Image Credit : Alamy (Under Copyright)

The tomb of the First Emperor, also known as the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, is the burial complex of Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the Qin Dynasty and the first ruler to unify China.

During his lifetime, Qin Shi Huang became obsessed with achieving immortality and pursued the elusive elixir of life. He dispatched expeditions in search of Mount Penglai, an island/mountain in Qin mythology, said to be home to immortals that guarded the secret to eternal life.

Qin Shi Huang’s obsession ultimately led to his downfall, as many historians believe he died from prolonged poisoning by consuming mercury based elixirs that impaired his central nervous system, causing significant brain and liver damage.

Qin Shi Huang was buried in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, located in present-day Lintong District in the city of Xi’an, which according to historical accounts was constructed over 38 years using 700,000 workmen.

Most of what is known about the tomb’s interior comes from the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian, who describes mercury being used to depict the hundred rivers, including the Yangtze, Yellow River, and the great sea, all beneath a representation of the celestial constellations.

More:
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/01/new-evidence-may-reveal-the-source-of-mercury-in-the-tomb-of-the-first-emperor/154358




- click link to Google images of the enormous mausoleum of the First Emporer, and its incredible army of soldiers, each one created to depict a different man, etc., etc., etc. -

https://tinyurl.com/5fp8n2rf