Why Don’t The Chinese Excavate The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Chinese archaeologists discovered the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in the spring of 1974, and the place where Qin Shihuang was buried also had been found. But almost 40 years have passed, the Chinese have never meant to Excavate it. Why?

The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is the mausoleum of Ying Zheng, the first emperor in Chinese history. It is China’s first batch of World Cultural Heritage, the first batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units, the first batch of AAAA National Tourist Attraction, located in Xi’an, Shanxi Province. The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is the first large-scale and well-designed mausoleum in Chinese history. According to historical records, there are also various palaces in the mausoleum, displaying many precious treasures.The world famous Terracotta Army belongs to The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is one of the largest mausoleums in the world with the most peculiar structure and rich connotation. It is the pride and precious wealth of the Chinese nation, which fully demonstrates the artistic talent of the ancient Chinese working people more than 2000 years ago. So why don’t the Chinese excavate the mausoleum? There are main reasons as follows:

First of all, the National Cultural Heritage Administration has made it clear for a long time that we should not take the initiative to excavate the tombs of emperors, which is an established policy that must be unswervingly implemented.

Second, The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is a huge systematic project, which is a arduous and long-term archaeological task. Each archaeological research result will increase the cognition The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.

Third, the protection and excavation of the mausoleum is a step-by-step Archaeological Science Project. Now archaeologists do not know enough about the part or periphery of the mausoleum, and the technology of cultural relics protection is not good enough to excavate the mausoleum.

Zhang Weixing, an expert at the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, said that in general, we do not take the initiative to explore the mausoleum unless it is a rescue excavation. We do not have enough understanding of the whole part of the mausoleum and the protection technology is not mature. Therefore, the “idea” of excavating the mausoleum is against science.