However, due to the immaturity of modern archaeological technology, it is difficult for people to touch the core part of this catacombs, and they can only rely on the description of this underground scene by the ancients and the investigation of modern technology to simulate and imagine it out of thin air. The focus of this discussion is the mercury in Qin Shihuang's mausoleum, because mercury is of great significance in the design and application of this underground palace.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
Historical documents such as Historical Records, Water Mirror and Taiping Preview basically hold a positive attitude towards mercury in Qinling Underground Palace. Sima Qian recorded in the historical records that in this mausoleum? Taking mercury as a hundred rivers? ; Many folklore describes the mercury in this tomb as magical.
In 1980s, the Institute of Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences conducted a 1 measurement on the mercury content in the soil of this imperial tomb. The average mercury content in the most central area of the sealed soil of this underground tomb reached 250PPd, which was more than 200 units higher than the average mercury content around the sealed soil, which initially confirmed the records of mercury in the tomb of Qin Shihuang in the history books.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
In 2003, in another archaeological study of this mausoleum, the content of gas tribute in the seal soil of Qin Mausoleum was detected again. The test results show that the mercury content in the underground palace does exceed the standard. Not only that, archaeologists also found that the mercury content intensity on both sides of the underground palace is different, the mercury content on the northeast side of the underground palace is the strongest, and there is basically no mercury content on the north and west sides of the underground palace.
According to this distribution of mercury content, archaeologists also found that the distribution of mercury in Qin Shihuang's mausoleum corresponds to the distribution of water system in the whole underground palace. According to the data of mercury's melting point, boiling point, specific gravity and steam specific gravity, the researchers found that mercury was buried 35 meters deep in the underground palace, because only in this way can mercury remain relatively stable.
Mercury content in Qinling area
Why does mercury exist in this mysterious imperial tomb?
This may be related to China's cognition of mercury in ancient times. In the late Warring States period, Yin-Yang and Five Elements prevailed, and alchemists always sought to refine the elixir of life with mercury. Some alchemists believe that a corpse can be preserved for a long time if it is soaked in mercury.
As we all know, the ancestor Qin Shihuang was obsessed with immortality. After Qin Shihuang of SHEN WOO, who has always been wise, unified the world, with the growth of his age, he began to indulge in the alchemist's elixir of life and struggled to find the elixir of life. Of course, Qin Shihuang's dream was not unexpectedly shattered. However, after the death of Qin Shihuang, the corpse was probably soaked in mercury in order to prevent the corpse from rotting.
Mercury
Of course, corpse preservation is only one of the uses of mercury in Qin Shihuang's mausoleum. According to historical records, there are a lot of mercury in Qin Shihuang's underground palace for other purposes: Qin Shihuang built a vast territory of the Daqin Empire in his underground palace, and mercury was used to represent the rivers, lakes and seas in the imperial territory.
According to Qin Shihuang's consistent practice of swallowing mountains and rivers, the territory of the underground palace Daqin is bound to be magnificent, and naturally, the amount of mercury used in the territorial water system is also very exaggerated. This is why mercury is still easy to be detected after being buried underground for more than 2000 years.