Badger Bart
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Tomb scan reveals buried treasure
Thursday, October 20, 2005; Posted: 1:02 a.m. EDT (05:02 GMT)
BEIJING, China (AP) --
A magnetic scan of the unopened tomb of China's first emperor has detected a large number of coins, suggesting Emperor Qin was buried with his state treasury, a news report said Thursday.
Qin, who ruled in 221-210 B.C., already is renowned for the thousands of terra cotta statues of soldiers found buried around his immense tomb outside the former imperial capital of Xi'an.
The latest finding was announced by Chinese and German archaeologists at a conference Wednesday in Xi'an, where the tomb was discovered in the 1970s, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Qin, also known as Qin Shihuangdi, or "First Emperor Qin," founded China's first imperial dynasty and is believed to have spent decades building his tomb.
Archaeologists have refrained from opening it until they decide how to preserve the treasures it is believed to contain.
The magnetic scan revealed new details of the tomb's structure and a "remarkable amount of coins," Xinhua said, citing Michael Petzet, president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
Coins of that era likely were made of bronze, with some perhaps made of silver.
The Xinhua report did not give any details of how the scan was conducted."Excavation sometimes means destruction," said Petzet. "Let them sleep underground. It's safer. No excavation should be done for fun or curiosity."
Qin was legendary for his cruelty. He reputedly press-ganged some 700,000 workers into building his mausoleum and had dissident scholars buried alive. (Nice guy)
Qin's son was overthrown three years after his death by founders of the Han dynasty, which lasted four centuries and is considered one of the pinnacles of classical Chinese civilization.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Thursday, October 20, 2005; Posted: 1:02 a.m. EDT (05:02 GMT)
BEIJING, China (AP) --
A magnetic scan of the unopened tomb of China's first emperor has detected a large number of coins, suggesting Emperor Qin was buried with his state treasury, a news report said Thursday.
Qin, who ruled in 221-210 B.C., already is renowned for the thousands of terra cotta statues of soldiers found buried around his immense tomb outside the former imperial capital of Xi'an.
The latest finding was announced by Chinese and German archaeologists at a conference Wednesday in Xi'an, where the tomb was discovered in the 1970s, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Qin, also known as Qin Shihuangdi, or "First Emperor Qin," founded China's first imperial dynasty and is believed to have spent decades building his tomb.
Archaeologists have refrained from opening it until they decide how to preserve the treasures it is believed to contain.
The magnetic scan revealed new details of the tomb's structure and a "remarkable amount of coins," Xinhua said, citing Michael Petzet, president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
Coins of that era likely were made of bronze, with some perhaps made of silver.
The Xinhua report did not give any details of how the scan was conducted."Excavation sometimes means destruction," said Petzet. "Let them sleep underground. It's safer. No excavation should be done for fun or curiosity."
Qin was legendary for his cruelty. He reputedly press-ganged some 700,000 workers into building his mausoleum and had dissident scholars buried alive. (Nice guy)
Qin's son was overthrown three years after his death by founders of the Han dynasty, which lasted four centuries and is considered one of the pinnacles of classical Chinese civilization.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.