A colossus bowlder cast down an ineluctable passage ; a wall of crossbows that fire the moment a golden item is impact ; a pitfall of spikes beneath a cautiously - lay wheat floor . These are just some of the booby traps that have become synonymous with the grave of ancient rulers , whether it be Indiana Jones or Lara Croft exploring their depths .
But despite their celebrity and the everlasting love for booby - trammel adventures , is there any accuracy to it ? Could it be potential that the grave of an ancient Pharoah still contain a fully functional booby - trap organisation ?
Before we get into it , let ’s dispel a prompt point – no , there is no grounds of a rolling boulder trap found in any real grave . disconsolate tocrushyour dreams , but that was exclusively manufacture by some very inventive storytellers . This is also true for the more freaky traps , such as poison darts and crazy sideboard - weight systems . There are , however , some pretty cool discovery deep in ancient tombs that were likely could have deterred thieves .
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor: Rivers of Mercury and Automatic Crossbows
TheMausoleum of the First Qin Emperor , comprise the eubstance of Qin Shi Huang , is one of the most notorious tombs in the cosmos . celebrated for containing a number of luck that have prevented its full exploration , it is also one of the most impressive belowground inhumation position in the humankind , featuring an intact bedroom of terracotta warrior . Constructed over 2,000 year ago , somewhere between 246 to 208 BCE , the mausoleum lies beneath a mammoth mound to put up the " army " that protects the inner grave . At its center position the remains of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty , a fabled leader that dominate the first unite China .
As you might ’ve think from the US Army of fake warrior , Qin Shi Huang wish to be protected greatly even after he come about . The grave itself has never been excavated , mainly due to the abnormally high levels of mercury in the mausoleum . See , Qin Shi Huang ( like many others at the clock time ) believed mercury could contribute immortality , and as such allegedly create a moat of the toxic metal to surround his tomb . Stories tell of a tumid organization of rivers and lakes containing the bright substance , and have certainly worked in preclude entry . This is challenge , however , and others hint the mercury is simply a result of industrial befoulment in the area . Either way , the toxic system of mercury and groundwater have the tomb a tough area to breach .
Impressively , a potential river of Hg is not the coolest contraption Qin Shi Huang used to defend his remains . Legends state that the tomb itself carry a trap organization of automatic crossbow , ready to pump trespasser full of arrow the moment they seek to desecrate his remains .
Thebiographyof Qin Shi Huang , written by Sima Qian , says as follows :
“ Palaces and scenic tower for a hundred officials were constructed , and the grave was fill up with rare artifact and marvellous treasure . Craftsmen were consecrate to make crossbows and arrow primed to hit at anyone who go in the tomb . Mercury was used to simulate the hundred river , the Yangtze , Yellow River , and the great sea , and set to menstruate mechanically . ”
While the crossbows , if they exist , will likely not be operable after 2,000 years , it does suggest luxuriant contraptions were considered as tomb protection .
Egyptian Tombs
river of mercury and automatic crossbows are a tough act to keep abreast , and Egyptian grave did n’t quite live up to their Chinese counterpart . Of course , these tombs date from much further back than the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor , this time date to well over 4,000 years honest-to-god , but that did n’t finish them from getting crafty when protect against tomb looter .
Instead , construction workers of important grave turned to decoy and fake wall to dissuade looting . Hidden within the Great Pyramid of Giza , an elaborate tunnel system takes archaeologist to the grave of what is believed to be Pharoah Khufu , who rule around 2500 BCE – or so they think . Khufu ’s mummy was never found , with the King ’s Chamber already robbed prior to its ’ find many years later on . Butsome archaeologistsbelieve this chamber was a steerer , and a occult chamber instead houses the king . This has never been verified , but a phone number of empty chambers and stagnant - goal passages could point to a out of sight grave .
The Red Queen of Palenque
To finish off our little tour through ancient booby - trapping , we have a female monarch who would stop at nothing to preclude others from touch her bones . inter in a Mayan Pyramids of Egypt in the ruination of the city of Palenque lies theTomb of the Red Queen , an ancient grave dating back around 1,400 old age .
The corpse are likely of Lady Ix Tz’akbu Ajaw , but all that has been confirmed is that the Lady was of great importance at the time . surround by riches and riches , the tomb was lavishly decorated and the stiff were fall apart an ornate funerary masque inside a sarcophagus . However , lifting the sarcophagus left the archaeologists with quite a shock – the bones were covered in a vivacious toxic sum .
promising red Callimorpha jacobeae , the ore of mercury ( ancient rulers really like mercury ) , coat the bones and contaminated the surrounding jewels , yield her the sobriquet the Red Queen . Handling the bones required intense care , as cinnabar moth is extremely toxic , despite its manipulation as an other red pigment . It is probable the Red Queen wished for her decoration strictly as a optical spectacle , and not as a deadly deterrent , but the end issue is one that made stealing her jewels a seriously bad idea for severe robbers .
