An ancient Chinese historian wrote that the tomb was filled with mercury and crossbows ready to fire.
  • darmabum@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    They mention high mercury levels as a trap or from wine that the emperor drank, but neither is likely (they often used to add lead to wine as a sweetener, but not mercury AFAIK). But, mercury contamination in tombs, especially in Asia, is very common from the heavy use of the deep red pigment cinnabar, also called vermillion, which is mercury sulfide.

    • someguy3@lemmy.caOPEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      They mention that they think rivers were recreated in the tomb using mercury.

          • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            2·
            1 year ago

            I was going to say “I doubt it was instantaneous”… but I stand corrected

            "They suffered slow oxidation giving way to humid saturation due to groundwater seepage for 2,180 years, followed by rapid oxidation and dehydration in 1974 when the vaults were opened and exposed to the atmosphere. The color coating was severely damaged, then aged and peeled off…

            Practically every warrior and horse was painted, but having been buried for more than 2,200 years the pigments were so old they began to change just 15 seconds after they were unearthed. Within four minutes the painting layers bound together by pigments became dehydrated, tilted and broke from the surface.”

            Source

  • tiredofsametab@kbin.social
    1·
    1 year ago

    Fear of damaging the tomb, as mentioned near the end (archaeology is a destructive process in many cases, and there’s always new technology coming that could have told us more if we hadn’t disturbed something) is definitely a thing. I also think there’s a worry that it’s not what they think it is and there will be great disappointment. It’s not thought to have been looted in antiquity, but that also doesn’t mean it wasn’t.

    • Treczoks@kbin.social
      1·
      1 year ago

      Well, there are still the other classics: Floors that drop away to unseen depths, swinging blades, large round boulders, mimics…