📷 Nadine K · Pexels

Where in the world

China

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Ancient China · China

Field notes

civilizations: Ancient China
types: Mausoleum
built: 246 BCE — 208 BCE
occupied: 246 BCE — 206 BCE
country: China

The site

The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is a vast tomb complex built for Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China's Qin dynasty, near modern Xi'an. Constructed over some 38 years from 246 BCE, it lies beneath a 76-metre earthen mound shaped like a truncated pyramid, its inner and outer cities modeled on the Qin capital of Xianyang. The central tomb remains unexcavated; work concentrates on the surrounding necropolis, including the celebrated Terracotta Army.

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