Comments on: More terracotta army secrets to be revealed http://granitestudio.org/2009/06/09/more-terracotta-army-secrets-to-be-revealed/ A Qing historian reads the newspaper... Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:02:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: stuart http://granitestudio.org/2009/06/09/more-terracotta-army-secrets-to-be-revealed/comment-page-1/#comment-12327 stuart Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:50:16 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=1244#comment-12327 "I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s the best explanation I received…" I suspect it is true. And well done to the archaeologists for refusing to bow to commercial pressure. The tombs are one of those rare historical sites that doesn't disappoint, despite the tacky gift shops. "...when silk documents practically crumbled in front of the archaeologists’ eyes " That must have been a painful moment. “I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s the best explanation I received…”

I suspect it is true. And well done to the archaeologists for refusing to bow to commercial pressure.

The tombs are one of those rare historical sites that doesn’t disappoint, despite the tacky gift shops.

“…when silk documents practically crumbled in front of the archaeologists’ eyes ”

That must have been a painful moment.

]]> By: david0fsangabriel http://granitestudio.org/2009/06/09/more-terracotta-army-secrets-to-be-revealed/comment-page-1/#comment-12323 david0fsangabriel Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:46:14 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=1244#comment-12323 Thanks for bringing this interesting subject up. I can still remember, on visiting Xi'an way back in the summer of 1993, seeing a billboard outside the Qinshihuang tumulus stating that excavation of the tomb was to begin, I recall, in September. I later inquired of many Chinese, including an archaeologist, as to what was holding up the excavation. No one was able to give me a coherent explanation until a Xian-born lawyer told me that the Chinese archaeologists were working on developing preservation techniques for silk documents, to try and avoid a repeat of what happened during the Mawangdui excavations, when silk documents practically crumbled in front of the archaeologists' eyes upon being exposed to the outside air after more than 2000 years underground. I don't know if that's true, but it's the best explanation I received... Thanks for bringing this interesting subject up. I can still remember, on visiting Xi’an way back in the summer of 1993, seeing a billboard outside the Qinshihuang tumulus stating that excavation of the tomb was to begin, I recall, in September.

I later inquired of many Chinese, including an archaeologist, as to what was holding up the excavation. No one was able to give me a coherent explanation until a Xian-born lawyer told me that the Chinese archaeologists were working on developing preservation techniques for silk documents, to try and avoid a repeat of what happened during the Mawangdui excavations, when silk documents practically crumbled in front of the archaeologists’ eyes upon being exposed to the outside air after more than 2000 years underground.

I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s the best explanation I received…

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