Has Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Ever Been Robbed in the Past?

Burned Timber and Fragments of Figures, Pit 2

Fragments of Figures in Pit 3

Modern archaeological research has uncovered widespread evidence of burning and destruction across the mausoleum area. Large quantities of charred bricks, tiles, wood ash and burnt soil have been unearthed at the site. Even in the famous Terracotta Army pits, many terracotta warriors and weapons show clear traces of hacking and burning, with visible cut and fire marks still preserved on some statues. These findings suggest that the above‑ground structures and outer burial pits may have suffered deliberate and severe damage, possibly at the hands of Xiang Yu's forces or later tomb robbers. Importantly, however, such evidence does not directly indicate that the main underground palace of the mausoleum was violated or robbed.

Modern archaeological teams have used remote sensing and magnetic surveys, techniques similar to a CT scan of the earth, to investigate the area around the underground palace. Results show that the palace is surrounded by a solid and thick wall, reinforced with brick cladding and covered by thick stone slabs. Although several ancient robber tunnels have been detected, the deepest ones only reached the outer side of the wall and none penetrated into the central chamber. More importantly, the soil filling those tunnels remains undisturbed, with no signs of human passage, indicating that grave robbers never gained access to the underground palace.
 

Historical records state that mercury was used to simulate rivers and seas inside the emperor's underground palace. As a highly volatile heavy metal that evaporates easily, if the palace had ever been opened on a large scale, the mercury would have dispersed quickly and could not have survived for over two thousand years. Since 1981, however, geologists have conducted multiple surveys of mercury concentrations in the soil above the tomb mound and found that mercury levels in the central area are nearly 300 times higher than in the surrounding soil, covering a wide area. This indicates that mercury from the underground palace is still slowly seeping upward through the soil, which in turn suggests that the palace has remained largely sealed for over two millennia without large-scale intrusion.

For over two thousand years, Chinese epigraphers and collectors have carefully documented the origin, shape, and changes in ownership of ancient bronzes, jades, stone carvings, and other valuable relics, leaving detailed records. If Qin Shi Huang's underground palace had been robbed, countless treasures would likely have spread into the hands of common people, been traded and collected, and would almost certainly have been recorded. Yet a comprehensive examination of all surviving documents reveals no clear record of any relic originating from the underground palace. This striking absence suggests that the treasures inside the palace never saw the light of day and were never obtained by ancient people.