| Terra-cotta Warriors of Xian, China | ||
| Introduction |
An unnatural hill on the Chinese Loess Plain
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13: Emperor's
Burial Mound About 3 kilometers to the west lies the emperor's burial mound. The mound is guarded to the east by the warriors. During his life, Qin Shi Huang's enemies were always east of him. Thus he had to have protection in that direction. The burial place is an earthen mound about 250 feet in height.
The sepulcher is so large, ten times larger than the largest pit
where the warriors are found, that it has not been excavated.
Funding for the excavation would be immense and the Chinese
government is unwilling to allow archaeologists to work in the area. Although Qin Shi Huang's body hasn't been found, several other discoveries have been made to support the theory that this is his tomb. Remains of a palace, human and horse skeletons, bronze chariots, and a rare animal zoo have all be excavated in the vicinity of the burial mound.
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