Archaeologists afraid of China's first emperor's tomb

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.indy100.com/news/chinas-first-emperor-tomb-booby-traps

Me too....

[Ian61]

This is not new news but it still very surprising they haven't done more than they seem too have done. I would be testing for mercury in the area above and around the site. I can't believe no tentative explorations have been made given the tech now at archaeologists beck and call.

[stevenneate]

Send in Han conscripts to trip the booby-traps. Indiana Jones wouldn't hesitate.

[Nick Harbud]

Traditionally in China, the reasons for leaving former rulers' tombs undisturbed have less to do with heavy metal poisoning and more with releasing the deceased's spirit out into the world where it will take a horrible revenge not only on former enemies, but anyone else that they feel like.  One way of preventing this was to encase the corpse in a jade suit.

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If you ever find yourself in Guangzhou, it is worth popping into the Museum of the Nanyue KIng Zhao Mo's Mausoleum.  For millennia, this site was left undisturbed until some developers decided to build a high rise edifice on it.  In digging the foundations, they came across the tomb.  Subsequently, it was decided to preserve this for public viewing and construct the new building elsewhere.

[Imperial Dave]

Ever watched The Mummy......

[stevenneate]

Sends shivers down my spine that Imhotep will be back.

[Imperial Dave]

Watch out for the scarab 🪲

[Erpingham]

Poor Imhotep.  Invent pyramids, climb the slippery pole to deification and all you are remembered for is wandering round in bandages killing people.

[Imperial Dave]

Bless.... 

[stevenneate]

I think Nick's right on this one, that the superstition of a terrible curse has effectively dissuaded anyone from opening it. Nice to see that one of these curses actually worked.

[Imperial Dave]

This bit is cursed....