Ask the Expert: Dr. Jeffrey K. Riegel
Dr. Jeffrey K. Riegel
University of California, Berkeley
Jeffrey Riegel is professor of classical Chinese language in the department of East Asian languages, University of California at Berkeley. He teaches undergraduate reading courses in ancient Chinese poetry and prose and graduate seminars on early Chinese thought, the "Confucian classics," as well as on paleography and recently excavated manuscripts. His research interests encompass these and related topics. He is currently preparing a full translation of the Mozi and a study of traditional ghost stories. The Annals of Lü Buwei, a book by Professor Riegel and the late John Knoblock, was published by Stanford University Press in 2001.
Steven G: The placement of the terracotta army seems to be in scale, at the outskirts of the burial complex. Given the running count of the army figures, is it likely that there are greater numbers or additional armies guarding the other directions of the burial complex? Or, is it likely that the army is in one direction only, and in that regard, more symbolic.
Dr. Riegel: A systematic survey has been done of the entire burial area. While a total of around 180 pits has been discovered, it appears that the only army figures are in the three pits to the east. There may have been religious reasons for only placing the figures in that direction.
Lisa M: If there is in fact mercury in the tomb, would it still be in the liquid state as suggested in the TV presentation? And if so, how could it maintain its liquid state after thousands of years.
Dr. Riegel: The mercury is found as a trace element in the soil, not as a liquid.
Bo C: How did all the dirt and soil get above his tomb? Was it put there, or was it natural?
Dr. Riegel: The burial mound was "constructed" using what we call the "rammed-earth" technique. Soil from another site was dug up and brought to the tomb and piled above it.
Travis W: With all of the supposed mercury in the burial chamber, wouldn’t there be more lateral leaching of the material into local water supplies, instead of increased levels in the ground above the chamber? Is there any indication of higher mercury levels in that regions water supply (wells) historically?
If the rivers of mercury were inside the burial chamber would there be any toxic effects on the air inside, or the bronze of the sarcophagus or its contents?
Dr. Riegel: The reason that there was no lateral leaching is that the subterranean walls surrounding the burial are all intact. The Qin had constructed these walls as well as a system for preventing the groundwater runoff from the mountains to the south from entering the tomb. I imagine the mercury contained with the burial vault would have had some toxic effect on the interior, but I cannot say how much.
Sandy: I am curious about the legal system of the first Emperor of China. The penalties were covered, but how they were obtained was barely touched on.
Dr. Riegel: We know from excavated documents that there was a law code and a judicial system in Qin times. The legal documents included what we would call case law. Judges adjudicated what we would now consider personal matters within a family and were allowed to impose severe punishments.
John O: I plan to visit the site in the next year or so. What can I expect to be allowed to see? Are any of the other pits (besides the large Terracotta Warrior pit) available to be viewed?
Dr. Riegel: You can visit three pits that contain the terracotta soldiers. Adjacent to these is the Terracotta Army Museum. In the museum are galleries that display the one-half-size bronze chariots and any new discoveries.
Phil M: Thank you for an outstanding and informative program. I learned a great deal about the origins of China and have a greater appreciation for their past culture.
Does the Chinese government have any intentions of opening up the tomb in the future or is the tomb considered too sacred to consider doing so?
Dr. Riegel: The archaeologists working at the site have determined that it would be unwise to attempt to open the tomb. This is largely because they do not currently possess the means to excavate successfully and preserve whatever remains inside.
Gary R: My question is about the writings one hundred years later giving detailed information thought to be legend about his tomb. Is this manuscript translated into English or is it just a lone ancient manuscript only available to scholars able to read Chinese?
Dr. Riegel: The descriptions of the tomb occur in texts that have been transmitted from the Han dynasty. The most important of these is a text called The Records of the Grand Historian, written by Sima Qian of the 2nd century BCE.
Chris I: Looking at the map on Discovery the terracotta army seems pretty far away from the tomb itself. Why would they be that far away? If they were meant to protect in the after life wouldn't you want them closer?
Dr. Riegel: You are right that the pits with the terracotta army are relatively far, though they are within the boundaries of what is considered to be the necropolis. While the voice-over narrative says that the army was placed there to protect the emperor in the afterlife, there are many competing explanations.
Greg T: About the people who died in the tomb with him (high priests, builders of the tomb, etc.) do you think anything is left of them?
Dr. Riegel: I doubt that anything is left of those said to have been entombed with the first emperor.
