A huge cache of 32,000 artifacts, including expensive sets of stone armor, revealed a previously unknown plan that Qin Shi Huang was expected to carry out in the afterlife.
According to Ancient Origins, a decades-long excavation at the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi province – China has twice revealed warehouses full of stone armor, a type of artefact that is meticulously crafted but difficult to understand. .
The first time was in 1988, in an area called “Pit K9801”. The second time was in 2019, a much larger area with an area of 144 m2, containing up to 32,392 antiques.
One of the exquisitely crafted armor excavated from the tomb complex of Qin Shi Huang – Photo: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM
What’s special is that some of the stone armor in the second warehouse is only nearly complete, with the stone pieces having just been drilled and polished. Besides, there are also some tools showing that this is a stone armor manufacturing factory.
A study just published in the journal Science Direct, led by Professor Xuewei Zhang from the Bioarchaeological Laboratory of Jilin University (China) has revealed the mystery of these ghostly stone armors. .
The helmet of the stone armor – Photo: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM
New analysis shows that the armor was made of high-quality limestone with a minimal number of joints. The near-complete armor suggests that it was deliberately left in that state, inside the tomb.
The armor production process was designed exactly like the leather armor production process used by Qin Dynasty soldiers, including 9 steps.
Researchers say these armors were not produced to serve the existing army of that period, but with the intention of making burial items to serve Qin Shi Huang and his army during the war. battles in the “other world”.
They say this reflects the reverence and expectation of life in the afterlife that those who built the mausoleum at that time had for the emperor. This also indirectly reflects the position and life of Qin Shi Huang during his illustrious reign.
