The Shifting Sands of the Tomb Organization

The anti-theft effect of "cliff tombs" is significant, and ordinary mound tombs also have methods to prevent theft. The common approach is "digging deep holes," excavating the tomb chamber deep underground, such as the Qin and Han dynasty tombs which were set more than ten meters deep underground. The "Secret Burial Classic of the Great Han Original Mausoleum," which records the funeral systems of the Central Plains and northern regions, states, "To establish a mound and set up a grave, one must rely on the incoming mountain and outgoing water, select the land and cut the grass, and the tomb chamber should be high and deep." Meanwhile, placing a sturdy stone coffin chamber further enhances the anti-theft effect. Coffin chambers are mostly made of wood, and stone coffin chambers certainly offer better security than wooden ones. Thieves commonly use tools like axes and chisels; to quickly open the coffin chamber, it would require more effort.   Beyond these conventional anti-theft measures, the most ingenious anti-theft technique for mound tombs is "accumulated sand" and "accumulated stones." This type of tomb also has a professional term, called "accumulated sand tomb" or "accumulated stone tomb"; if it is a composite, it is an "accumulated sand and stone tomb." "Accumulated sand tombs," commonly known as quicksand tombs, are one of the most headache-inducing and feared tomb types for thieves, appearing earlier, no later than the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. During construction, an underground space more than ten meters deep and covering tens or even hundreds of square meters is excavated. After determining the orientation and direction of the coffin chamber according to Feng Shui, the coffin chamber is buried with dried fine sand instead of being backfilled with soil. Once the sand is accumulated to a certain position and thickness, it is then covered with soil, and the surroundings are compacted and secured.   Why is the sand dried? First, it maintains a dry underground environment to prevent body decomposition; second, it strengthens the anti-theft effect. Dry fine sand flows like water, with extremely strong fluidity. Thieves cannot dig a tunnel because the sand flows as they dig, making it difficult to form a tunnel. Even if a tunnel is formed, the risk is high, easily causing collapses that turn thieves into the buried. "Quicksand tombs" have been frequently discovered in modern archaeology. The Guozhuang Chu Tomb located in Shangcai County, Henan, is a typical example of a quicksand tomb.   In May 2005, archaeological experts conducted a comprehensive excavation of the Guozhuang Chu Tomb. The results were shocking, leaving experts with decades of archaeological experience deeply surprised. The reason was not the discovery of priceless burial items, but the unique anti-theft design of the tomb. Although over a thousand Chu-style bronze artifacts and a large number of jade pieces from the Warring States period were unearthed, the real surprise was the tomb's design. Ma Juncai, deputy researcher at the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, revealed after the excavation that the tomb's anti-theft measures were interlinked: the main tomb reached a depth of 17 meters, with more than 10 meters filled with sand. Fake coffins were also placed to confuse thieves, with two fake coffins added above and to the side of the main coffin. To make them realistic, small burial items were also placed. The design of the tomb passage was also ingenious; unlike typical large tombs where the passage leads directly to the bottom, the direction was changed. Thieves following the passage down could not see the real coffin chamber.   Shangcai is the hometown of Qin Chancellor Li Si, with many ancient tombs in the area. The rich burial items in this Chu tomb have survived over 2,000 years without being stolen, entirely due to this interlinked anti-theft design. On-site discoveries showed that there were as many as 17 theft tunnels of various sizes in this tomb. The earliest theft tunnel dates back to the Warring States period, located about 3 meters outside the north entrance of the tomb chamber. It was a stepped diagonal tunnel that stopped upon discovering accumulated sand. The most formidable theft tunnel was one of seven from the Eastern Han period, where thieves used the "large roof removal" method on the eastern part of the tomb chamber, severely damaging the structure.   Modern theft tunnels are the most numerous, with 9 found. Most used directional blasting methods. The furthest theft tunnel was a horizontal leading tunnel, 27 meters long. After entering the tomb chamber, bamboo and wood tunnels were used for excavation. To prevent collapses, modern thieves borrowed the method of using wooden supports from coal miners, using bamboo and wood boards to block the quicksand. When the boards were not long enough, hinges were used to connect them. This method allowed the theft tunnel to penetrate the coffin chamber boards, approaching the coffin closely, and the theft almost succeeded.   The accumulated sand in the Guozhuang Chu Tomb also includes accumulated stones, not just a single accumulated sand tomb. Accumulated stones are another anti-theft technique used by the ancients, even more widespread than the use of sand. During the time of Lü Buwei, "the larger the state, the richer the family, the thicker the burial. Pearls and scales were included, playing with precious goods and treasures, bells, tripods, pots, and滥 (abundant) items, carriages, horses, clothing, weapons, and swords, countless in number. All tools for life were followed." To prevent theft, they used "tilted chambers, multiple layers of coffins, accumulated stones and charcoal, surrounding the outside."   In 1988, Tomb No. 251 excavated in Jinsheng Village, Taiyuan, belonged to a large tomb from the late Spring and Autumn period, dating no later than 475 BC. According to public excavation reports, over 3,000 burial items were unearthed in the chariot and horse pits near the tomb, mostly bronze artifacts. Among them, there were 140 ritual vessels, including two sets of seven tripods. Jinsheng Village is located in the western suburbs of the ancient city of Jinyang, the main cemetery for Jin nobles and high officials. The discovery of Tomb No. 251 provides extremely important materials for studying Jin culture and the history before and after the division of Jin. In the Spring and Autumn period, nine tripods symbolized the king's authority of the Zhou Son of Heaven, and seven tripods represented the feudal lords. The owner of Tomb No. 251, however, possessed two sets of seven tripods and three layers of lacquered coffins, indicating a prominent status. The owner of this tomb is later speculated to be Zhao Jianzi, the most powerful uncrowned king and Zheng Qing of Jin at that time. By the way, there are historical records of Zhao Jianzi's tomb being robbed. The "Book of Jin: Record of Shi Jilong" (Volume 107), "On the stone mound west of Handan City, there is the tomb of Zhao Jianzi. At this time, Jilong (adopted son of Shi Le, the founder of Later Zhao) ordered it to be opened. Initially, charcoal was found over a meter deep, then wooden boards one foot thick, accumulated boards eight feet thick, until reaching the water, which was unusually clear and cold. A pulley system was used to draw water with leather bags, and after more than a month, the water did not dry up, so the excavation was stopped. Then, the tomb of Qin Shi Huang was dug to take copper pillars to cast as vessels."   Tomb No. 251 provides physical evidence for "accumulated stone tombs": upon opening, it was found that "stones and charcoal were accumulated inside." Accumulated stones were used to crush thieves, while accumulated charcoal was needed for body preservation. The excavated tombs of Gushi, Zeng Hou Yi, King of Zhongshan, and King of Wei are all large tombs, with stones, sand, and charcoal accumulated inside and outside the coffin chambers. Accumulated stones are generally placed around the four sides or corners of the tomb pit, but the anti-theft design of accumulated stones in the Guozhuang Chu Tomb is the best.   Archaeologists discovered over 1,000 accumulated stones in the quicksand layer of the Gezhuang Chu Tomb, the smallest weighing 3 kilograms and the largest 165 kilograms. These stones varied in quality, color, and shape, but their edges were very sharp, indicating they were specifically mined and intentionally selected for their lethal potential. They can be roughly divided into layers of scattered stones, covering stones, top-hugging stones, waist-blocking stones, and bottom-lying stones, preventing thieves from entering from different parts. Scattered on the upper layer of the accumulated sand, the scattered stones, with over 50 remaining, had no regularity in weight, size, or position, making them unpredictable and serving as cold stone "hidden weapons."   But quicksand tombs are no longer the nemesis of thieves in modern times. Besides using the miners' "coal digging" method, modern thieves also use steel cylinders, connected ring by ring to form a theft tunnel, no longer fearing the pit being refilled with fine sand and cross-section collapses.