Chinese archaeologists have discovered an ancient and mysterious subterranean building near the tomb of the nation’s legendary first emperor, state media reported on Sunday.
The building, more than 2 000 years old, is hidden inside a 51m-high, pyramid-shaped earth mound on top of the tomb of emperor Qinshihuang in north-west China’s Shaanxi province, the Xinhua news agency said.
The discovery came as a complete surprise because there is no description of the 30m-high building in surviving historical records, but it may have been built for the soul of the emperor, said expert Duan Qingbo.
The building is situated near the famed terracotta warriors and has four surrounding stair-like walls, added Duan, a researcher with the Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology.
Remote sensing technology is used to investigate the structure as the authorities have yet to allow the excavation of the emperor’s tomb, according to Xinhua.
One reason given for keeping the tomb shut is the need to wait until archaeological techniques become sophisticated enough to probe potentially some of the most important finds of all time.
Qinshihuang, who lived towards the end of the third century BC, unified China in an extremely brutal fashion. He has been an idol for many subsequent leaders, including Communist China’s founder, Mao Zedong. — Sapa-AFP