this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 years ago (4 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 years ago

Faik the worry isn't from wine the emperor drank (though I think the consensus is he did take a hell of a lot of mercury as medicine believing it'd give immortality). It's the described artistic floor map of China (at the time) with the rivers of liquid mercury suggested as being real by the high mercury readings.

[–] someguy3 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I’ve heard of lead being used as sweetener for the Romans but never the Chinese

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Dude the emperor used to take his boat out on a lake of mercury.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Well clearly that's why he's dead now.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 2 years 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.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Only the penitent man will pass.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago

"I" not "J".

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

And what else? I'm a very lonely man.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Alright so how about we build an air tight enclosure around a small part of the door, just big enough to get, say, a small drone through. A mechanical part of this enclosure would be saws or something to breech the door. Would probably want to draw a vacuum in the enclosure first just in case.. maybe the enclosure could act as an airlock so researchers could access the drone for charging, upgrading, repairs, and whatnot?

I heard of this tomb when I was really young and ever since I've kinda used it as an engineering exercise in my head. Sometimes I draw things out for myself but this is the first time I've ever told anyone about it lol

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The solution will definitely require one or several bots or drones of some sort, but even the act of getting the bot inside might trigger a trap that damages the room itself. I suppose the archeologists will eventually have to request resources to set up a combined team that involves engineers.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago

Why not drill in some area you are pretty sure isn't very significant and just feed a scope in and have a look around?

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Where are all the archeologists inspired by Indiana Jones when they finally got a chance for adventure?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago

Why would anyone even be an archaeologist if it wasn't to live out their Indiana Jones fantasies?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Still sat behind their screens excavating their sinuses and daydreaming

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I've never heard of an archaeologist too scared of a new endeavor. (I have no friends and fewer archeologist friends.)

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Does that mean you have some archaeologist enemies?

[–] sndmn 28 points 2 years ago

Those would be... arch enemies then.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

"So once again, Jones, what was briefly yours is now mine."

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Well, they definitely don't need to worry about crossbows.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

We can only hope

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Snakes with crossbows.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago

Yep, but the snakes are also going to be extra crunchy

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 years ago

I think they are mostly afraid of the lake of mercury killing them when they open the door.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 years ago

They just need to bring a rogue to check for traps.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago

Meh I would be willing to go in with some kinda chemical protection suit. No way those crossbows are still working.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm certain this could be done safely

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago

Yeah, but that wouldn't make click-baity articles.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago

He saw them coming from a thousand years away.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Do they really think crossbows are still going to be under tension

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You could keep some strong acid in some kind of sealed glass container

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You could also keep strong acid on paper tabs, sealed, wrapped up with dessicant and put in a dark cold place like a freezer

[–] WanderingCrow 4 points 2 years ago

The emperor knew how to party

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Honestly, I would expect spike traps, those might be deadly indefinitely

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

"That's what I said, 'booty twaps'!"