Well wouldn't you be if that which already has been written of the tomb of Chin Shih Huang Ti already has been realized? I.e., the masses of soldiery and charioteers assembled to protect him (all those terra cotta figures).

you know there's supposed to be a giant lake of mercury with rivers of the same and a jewel encrusted roof and trees of gold and silver, don't you? that's deep underneath the mound, way down deep. And it's big.

every day is like Sunday, every day is silent and grey..

I knew of the mercury, I lost track of the riches part though. Well, goes to show you what culture would do to you. If this were in more western lands, the place would have been looted and a very long time ago.... assuming locals knew of the setup all along (like Egypt and why the Tutankhamon treasures survived).

Especially if one considers the continuity of the written history in China and the huge shadow that the Huang Ti Emperor cast upon all of his successors, it is understandable that those more classically trained will find it difficult to divorce themselves from what is classically taught or learned about him and what modern archeology can accomplish and reveal.

Edited by - Indy11 on 5/17/2004 2:09:10 PM

<Edit 2 and Backposting Esqy, sorry>

Taw, you're not referring to Qin are you?

Edited by - Indy11 on 5/17/2004 5:43:07 PM

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see it's not just me who knows about this stuff, Ed does too.

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Oh, and I don't? *Is offended* .

Edited by - esquilax on 5/17/2004 5:34:27 PM

@Esqy,

Sometimes, it is better not to have been referred to. i.e., At this point, I must be older than dirt as well.

Perhaps Indy; I just think that Taw was snubbing me .

Ed wrote with more certainty than you, Esq therefore I assumed that he already pretty much new the details, whereas you seemed to require the information confirming. My apologies for any offence thus caused by my assumption.

don't worry I still love you

every day is like Sunday, every day is silent and grey..

Please Taw! I thought we agreed to keep that private!

Sorry, I'm just feeling a bit sensitive right now; long story .

Edited by - esquilax on 5/17/2004 6:27:38 PM

I don't think there's much hope in finding Alexander's tomb. If the descriptions given by the ancient historians is true, physically, it could not have survived. It was above ground, it seems, and his mummy was in plain view. Some of those who visited were able to touch it. There's a story about Augustus visiting it, and breaking the mummy's nose.

I think that it did not survive, the mummy, that is. Probably was looted, desecrated or trashed at some point in the 3rd Century AD or soon after. The tomb, once the mummy was gone, probably got torn down and materials recycled as the Egyptians have been known to do.

both Caesar and Augustus went to see it, JC is reported to have wept at the sight of Alexander looking fearsome even in death (for Alexander had conquered the entire east by the time he was 30, Caesar was in his 40s and balding and had only just started)

the beast Caligula had the tomb opened and sported Alex's armour. Caracalla visited it in the early 3rd Century (for which we have historical evidence) in order to gain prestige for his Eastern expedition.

As Ed pointed out earlier, the late 3rd C was esp for Alexandria a time of upheaval and devastation, inter-ethnic conflict being rife and also it was captured by various factions during the long rounds of civil wars. There were also earthquakes and devastating fires. I would imagine also that the Tomb would not have fared well during the 4th C when Emperors were mostly Christian, esp under Theodosius I and his successors who were rabid anti-pagans.

didn't someone say they'd found it at Siwa a few years ago but it turned out to be a stupid mistake?



every day is like Sunday, every day is silent and grey..

I remember in that old game Empire Earth there was a wonder you could build called the Library Of Alexandria and it makes all enemy buildings show up on your map. Useful little thing

"The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine." - Nikola Tesla

yeah I believe it appeared in Civilisation too...

Yeah but it was the light tower at the mouth of the port harbor that was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

I'd love to talk to you guys about the 7 wonders of the ancient world, I know very little history (bad curriculum when I was at school, we only learnt about the WWII) - the wonders fascinate me. Have they ever proved their existance? I mean, obviously the pyramids are still around, but what about things like the colossus of rhodes?