Terracotta army found to be guarding treasure
By Karla Adam
Beijing's terracotta army appears to have been guarding more than just the body of China's first emperor after a magnetic scan revealed what appeared to be buried treasure.
New images of the 2 000-year-old imperial resting place showed a bounty of coins scattered about in the sealed-off tomb. There is a "remarkable number of coins", officials said.
The find has led Chinese and German archaeologists to conclude that the emperor may have been buried with his state treasure.
Qin Shihuang, who ruled under the name "First Emperor" from 221-210BC, is thought to have ordered the building of a massive underground tomb at the tender age of 13.
The mark of his rule was unification, bringing a single currency, rule of law and written language to the country before he died of a lethal concoction of mercury at the age of 49.
But he was also an iron-fisted authoritarian and it is believed that he wanted to be buried close to his terracotta army, which is arranged in battle formation.
The scientists' scans of the region also reveal new details about the structure of the underground chamber, which is thought to have been built by 700 000 men older than 36.
The famous mausoleum lies near the former capital of Xian, an hour's flight from Beijing. Not only have millions of tourists drawn inspiration from the site, it is also thought to be the spirit behind the British artist Antony Gormley's "Asian Field" exhibit of hand-sized clay figurines.
Gormley, who dislikes the comparison, travelled to China where he provided villagers from Guangzhou with tons of clay from which they crafted 190 000 little people.
The ancient tomb, which scientists prefer to preserve rather than excavate due to its precarious structure, became famous three decades ago when thousands of terracotta warrior figures were discovered accidentally by digging villagers.
The subsequent years of air and light exposure have had a deleterious effect on the Qin Dynasty warriors. Their once bright paint has begun to fade and their detailed features have started to corrode.
Earlier this year, Chinese and United States scientists decided drastic measures were needed and announced a two-year research project to study the noxious effect of pollutants on the figures.
More studies will inevitably come to bear with the discovery of the coins.
Michael Petzet, the president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Coins, has said the coins may be dynasty treasure.
He added that the coins are probably bronze and silver, reflecting the materials typical in the emperor's time. - Independent Foreign Service