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Modern china was born 2,000 years ago,
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At a time when two mighty empires dominated the world.
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In the west, rome.
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In the east, china’s han dynasty.
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The magnificent palaces of the han rulers
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Have long since crumbled,
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Their riches plundered by tomb raiders.
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For centuries, the lost world of the emperors
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Who built china has been shrouded in mystery.
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Now an exploration of three of china’s spectacular royal tombs
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Brings to light the full glory of china’s golden age,
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Amazing proof of their luxury and wealth--
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Treasures of gold, magnificent silk,
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And priceless jade--
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Watched over by a vast new terra-cotta army,
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Their rulers encased in jade for eternity,
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Guardians of a lost legacy that shaped a nation.
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The city of xi’an, ancient capital of china.
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Today it’s most famous for the terra-cotta warriors,
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A life-sized clay army, created by the emperor qin shi huang,
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The first emperor to unify china over 2,000 years ago.
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But this isn’t the city’s only imperial tomb.
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Just 40 miles away lies another amazing tomb
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That’s just beginning to reveal its secrets.
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It belonged to china’s next great ruler, emperor jing,
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Leader of the han dynasty that ruled china for four centuries.
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It was an era that shaped china forever.
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By the end of the 400-year period
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Of the han dynasty,
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This entire subcontinental area
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Has a sense of what it is to be chinese,
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Has a sense of a shared heritage and a shared culture
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With people who live 3,000 miles away.
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Soaring over 100 feet at the center
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Of this eight-square-mile mausoleum complex
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Is the tomb mound where emperor jing himself is buried.
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Around the emperor’s burial mound,
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There’s a network of mysterious trenches
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That archaeologists are still exploring today.
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Here they’ve unearthed something extraordinary...
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A second vast hoard of terra-cotta figures.
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Unlike the life-size terra-cotta army,
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These are built to one-third scale,
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And at over 8,000 strong, it’s an even bigger find.
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They’re also accompanied by a stunning variety of animals.
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We found, wow!
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Over 1,000 pieces of animals.
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Terra-cotta animals, including pigs, dogs, sheep.
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Such a large number, it was very impressive.
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The trenches of the emperor’s tomb
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Were dug into earth and boxed with wood.
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When the wood rotted,
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The trenches filled with mud, covering the figures.
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What archaeologists have discovered here
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Is not just an army,
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But an astounding representation of the entire imperial world...
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Down to the smallest details,
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Including two types of dog--
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Guard dogs, distinguished by their tail up,
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And family dogs with their tail down,
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Kept as pets and for eating.
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Each trench is a precious window
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Into the lost world of the han emperors
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And their imperial government,
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From kitchen pots to courtiers,
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Some clearly marked as special
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By their smaller penis and missing testicles.
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These are the earliest known depictions of china’s eunuchs,
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An elite class who occupied a unique position of power
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Behind the scenes in the han court.
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Only the emperor and his women,
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Maybe a couple of children and a bunch of eunuchs
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Are sealed off from the rest of the world.
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There are no full men allowed in the palace
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Except for the emperor himself,
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And so the eunuchs get to control access to the emperor.
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If you want to pass him a message,
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If you want to get something done in the palace,
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You are going to have to befriend a eunuch.
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The man who controlled this court
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Filled with intrigue 2,000 years ago
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Was emperor jing.
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During his rule, han culture reached its golden age,
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And china appeared to prosper under his careful leadership.
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Emperor jing has a good reputation,
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But much of it was inherited from his father,
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Including the ministers who gave him such good advice
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And the wealth that he eventually spent on his tomb.
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During his reign, he reduced tax to three percent.
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That would make anyone popular, i think.
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He abolished mutilation as a punishment
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And reduced the amount of whippings in the empire,
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So everyone was pleased with that.
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But it didn’t stop him
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From spending an unbelievable fortune on glorifying himself.
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In planning for his afterlife,
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He demanded a wildly extravagant mausoleum.
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It took thousands of workers almost 30 years to complete.
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Jing also broke long-standing rules
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On how a chinese emperor should behave.
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There’s a dark side to him.
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His decrees are incredibly arrogant.
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He doesn’t let his ministers take the credit
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For what was largely their work.
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He always acts as if everything was his doing.
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Before he became emperor, he was implicated in a terrible scandal
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That almost brought the empire down
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With his second cousin
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And murdered him by clubbing him with the game board.
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Murderous jing built his colossal tomb complex
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Just outside the imperial han capital xi’an.
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Its ancient name, chang’an, means perpetual peace.
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At its peak, it was one of the largest cities
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In the ancient world,
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With a population of over a million.
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Jeffrey it was, in reality and symbolically,
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Not only the center of an empire,
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But from the perspective of those who lived there,
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Those who ruled and governed there,
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The center of the world.
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It’s also the same city where jing’s predecessor
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Had constructed his massive mausoleum,
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Guarded by the famous terra-cotta army.
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Xiuzhen li is a leading expert
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In these larger than life warriors,
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Which loom at over six feet tall on the other side of the city.
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She has come to compare them with the smaller figures
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At the tomb of emperor jing, which are just 23 inches high.
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Now on display from suspended corridors of tempered glass,
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These excavated trenches contain
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An idealized imagining of a real world, in miniature.
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They are so small, when i first saw these figures,
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Compared to the terra-cotta figures
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In the qin first emperor’s tomb complex.
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In this tomb, there’s everything
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In it’s miniature version of real life.
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It’s all been made
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To give the emperor a perfect afterlife,
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Tended by all his supporters and servants.
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The big tomb really mirrored the royal household
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And also the life of the emperor.
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It’s easy to be charmed
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By these intriguing figures,
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But they come from an older and darker royal tradition.
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When ancient chinese rulers died,
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Members of their court were sacrificed
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And buried with them.
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The chinese have been including
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Human sacrifices in their tombs
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Since the seventh century b.c.,
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And this was a custom
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That was much lamented and deeply unpopular.
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But by the time of the han dynasty,
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The practice of mass human sacrifice
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Had all but disappeared,
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Replaced by figures like these, buried in the tomb instead.
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We do think that this practice started
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Really as a sense of humanity,
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That it simply wasn’t right to have people killed
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In order to serve a tomb occupant in the afterlife.
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The giant terra-cotta warriors
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Were designed as an awe-inspiring spirit army,
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To fight ghostly enemies in the afterlife,
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But if these smaller figures were meant to do the same,
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There’s an obvious problem-- they have no arms.
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It’s a mystery experts are determined to solve.
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In xi’an, china’s ancient capital,
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A team of archaeologists, led by professor jiao nanfeng,
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Discovered an astounding luxurious world in miniature.
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It represents the entire household of emperor jing,
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Down to the last concubine and eunuch,
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Buried beside his tomb for eternity.
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They even found tiny replicas of ancient chinese money
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For the model figures to spend in the afterlife.
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These are small-scale versions of real objects,
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Specially designed for funerals,
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Made of bronze, weighing less than a third of a gram.
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Jiao: they are not coins you can use.
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We call them spirit article coins.
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The han believed that when they died,
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They would exist in another parallel world,
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Where they would need spirit versions
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Of everything from this world,
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And this tiny gold seal
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Bearing the signature of a cavalry general
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Was found buried in a trench full of clay horses and riders,
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A perfect replica of one
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A general would have used in real life.
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The seal is too small to be used.
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It’s a spirit article seal specifically made for burial.
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Recreating the emperor’s household
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In such tiny detail
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All stems from this idea of a continued existence
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In a parallel world after death.
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These miniature clay figures are not merely dolls.
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They are the court the emperor will need
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To serve him in the next world.
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But the question remained:
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How could they do that without arms?
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Then in march 1991, scientists made a critical discovery--
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Minute traces of wood.
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The figures had arms after all, made of a material
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That allowed different poses for different tasks.
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Despite their small size,
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They were made at great expense and with extraordinary detail.
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Modern craftsmen are attempting to recreate the process.
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Every single figure has to be constructed
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Individually by hand.
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Clay is pressed into finely carved molds
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For the body, head, and legs.
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Once the figure is assembled,
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It’s fired in a kiln for up to four days.
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These small figurines,
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We can see clear around the eyes, noses, and ears,
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And they molded and then carved in detail,
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And also very clear about some details of the body.
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After firing,
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The arms made of wood are attached to them.
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The microscopic analysis also found
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Surprising remnants of another organic material,
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Which proves that they weren’t even naked
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When they were buried,
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But draped in the source
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Of the han dynasty’s great wealth and power--silk.
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2,000 years ago, silk was one
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Of the most highly prized commodities on earth,
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And it came only from china.
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Global hunger for this highly desirable fabric
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Gave birth to the world’s
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Longest overland ancient trading route.
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From xi’an, it drove through thousands of miles of desert,
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Traversed mountain ranges, and linked china with europe.
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This was the silk road.
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Silk was highly prized
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As far as the mediterranean empires of greece and rome,
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Where it draped the shoulders of the super rich and powerful.
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Chinese farmers paid their taxes with it.
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Civil servants received it as a salary.
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It was so highly valued that anyone who revealed
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The secret of its production to foreigners
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Was punished with death.
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To make luxury miniature costumes like these,
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With a yard and a half of sumptuous fabric,
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Would have cost more than a month’s pay
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Of a soldier in the han dynasty army.
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The miniature figures only give clues
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To how they may have been originally dressed.
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Exactly how these opulent clothes were made
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Is still a mystery.
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We can’t even imagine
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How luxurious their clothes were.
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We’ve lost the skills to copy han fabrics
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Like those found in the tombs.
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While some miniature figures
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Wore elaborate silk costumes,
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Others were dressed in clay.
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They have arms but no hands, a clue to their identity.
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These were the performers.
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They once held wooden musical instruments
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00:16:26,786 --> 00:16:29,522
That long ago rotted away.
261
00:16:29,555 --> 00:16:33,555
Alongside them, fluid dancers perform for eternity.
262
00:16:34,093 --> 00:16:35,361
Their elegant gestures
263
00:16:35,461 --> 00:16:38,030
Have puzzled contemporary choreographers
264
00:16:38,064 --> 00:16:42,064
Trying to recreate their 2,000-year-old performances.
265
00:16:43,836 --> 00:16:46,839
Ancient han dance styles can be reconstructed
266
00:16:46,873 --> 00:16:50,410
Using the evidence from painted murals in han tombs
267
00:16:50,443 --> 00:16:53,012
And the poses of the clay figures,
268
00:16:53,112 --> 00:16:56,682
Designed to entertain the emperor forever.
269
00:16:56,716 --> 00:16:58,017
One of the things that emperor jing did
270
00:16:58,117 --> 00:17:00,586
Is that he established that two of his ancestors
271
00:17:00,620 --> 00:17:04,591
Had to have dance performances and rituals conducted
272
00:17:04,624 --> 00:17:06,693
At their tombs on a regular basis.
273
00:17:11,831 --> 00:17:14,267
But there’s also dances as entertainment,
274
00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,070
As a form of introducing him to eligible young ladies,
275
00:17:18,104 --> 00:17:22,104
So dances are an important element in court life.
276
00:17:57,109 --> 00:17:59,178
The sophisticated culture and power
277
00:17:59,211 --> 00:18:00,846
Of the han dynasty
278
00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,550
Were at their dazzling height in the second century b.c.,
279
00:18:04,584 --> 00:18:08,584
When emperor jing built his extravagant tomb.
280
00:18:08,688 --> 00:18:12,325
But the vast han empire was vulnerable.
281
00:18:12,358 --> 00:18:14,327
Although the emperor ruled supreme
282
00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:16,696
From his capital in xi’an,
283
00:18:16,729 --> 00:18:18,698
He relied on local kings
284
00:18:18,731 --> 00:18:22,235
To control his more distant provinces,
285
00:18:22,268 --> 00:18:25,404
Like the kingdom of chu in eastern china,
286
00:18:25,538 --> 00:18:28,775
Today’s jiangsu province.
287
00:18:28,808 --> 00:18:31,344
The king of chu became one of the wealthiest rulers
288
00:18:31,444 --> 00:18:33,913
Of these far-flung kingdoms
289
00:18:33,946 --> 00:18:36,549
And would eventually challenge his power.
290
00:18:40,019 --> 00:18:42,688
Modern xuzhou,
291
00:18:42,722 --> 00:18:46,722
A fast-growing city of nine million people.
292
00:18:48,361 --> 00:18:51,364
Among the modern skyscrapers are visible reminders
293
00:18:51,430 --> 00:18:53,365
Of its historical past
294
00:18:53,399 --> 00:18:56,802
As capital of the ancient kingdom of chu.
295
00:18:56,836 --> 00:18:59,939
The city had special status during the han dynasty
296
00:18:59,972 --> 00:19:03,542
Because it’s where their first emperor was born.
297
00:19:03,576 --> 00:19:05,011
With his blessing,
298
00:19:05,044 --> 00:19:08,614
The kings of chu built themselves extravagant tombs,
299
00:19:08,648 --> 00:19:11,918
To be buried like emperors.
300
00:19:11,951 --> 00:19:13,653
The han dynasty had reunited china,
301
00:19:13,686 --> 00:19:17,290
But dotted around in the east, there were kingdoms,
302
00:19:17,323 --> 00:19:20,159
And these were places where relatives and allies
303
00:19:20,292 --> 00:19:22,361
Of the founder of the han dynasty
304
00:19:22,395 --> 00:19:25,164
Had been set up as rulers in their own right,
305
00:19:25,264 --> 00:19:28,000
And they called themselves kings.
306
00:19:28,034 --> 00:19:31,170
They had their own wealth, their own religions,
307
00:19:31,270 --> 00:19:35,270
And so these people stood a very high risk
308
00:19:35,474 --> 00:19:39,474
Of becoming pretenders to the imperial throne.
309
00:19:39,979 --> 00:19:42,248
In the middle of the second century b.c.
310
00:19:42,281 --> 00:19:46,281
One king of chu, liu wu, accumulated enough power
311
00:19:46,752 --> 00:19:49,121
To lead a rebellion against the emperor.
312
00:19:56,829 --> 00:19:58,964
The emperor crushed the revolt,
313
00:19:58,998 --> 00:20:02,998
Forcing the defeated king to commit suicide.
314
00:20:04,603 --> 00:20:06,238
Behind this modern facade
315
00:20:06,272 --> 00:20:08,941
Is where he is said to have been buried in a rush
316
00:20:08,974 --> 00:20:11,109
In an unfinished tomb.
317
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:18,680
Dr. James lin of the fitzwilliam museum in cambridge, england,
318
00:20:18,951 --> 00:20:22,321
Has joined local archaeologist li chunlei
319
00:20:22,354 --> 00:20:23,822
To explore inside
320
00:20:23,856 --> 00:20:27,226
The second of our remarkable han dynasty tombs.
321
00:20:31,497 --> 00:20:35,497
A narrow corridor leads 100 feet down to an underground palace.
322
00:20:42,742 --> 00:20:46,742
Unlike the tomb of emperor jing, which was dug underground,
323
00:20:46,946 --> 00:20:50,750
This king’s tomb is cut from solid limestone.
324
00:20:57,490 --> 00:21:00,727
The unfinished work of the stonemason’s chisel
325
00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,496
Is still clearly visible.
326
00:21:03,529 --> 00:21:07,529
This chamber is almost finished chamber.
327
00:21:07,566 --> 00:21:11,437
But still you can see some rough area by the end.
328
00:21:11,470 --> 00:21:14,940
The artist, the laborer
329
00:21:14,974 --> 00:21:18,344
Couldn’t have time to finish to smooth the surface,
330
00:21:18,377 --> 00:21:22,377
So we can still see traces of the chisel, still quite rough.
331
00:21:24,884 --> 00:21:27,487
Even though the tomb was never completed,
332
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:30,089
Its layout reveals a royal resting place
333
00:21:30,122 --> 00:21:34,122
Designed for maximum security in the afterlife,
334
00:21:35,127 --> 00:21:39,031
And one of the biggest threats came from tomb raiders.
335
00:21:41,133 --> 00:21:42,701
To protect against them,
336
00:21:42,735 --> 00:21:46,735
The architects devised impressive defensive measures--
337
00:21:48,674 --> 00:21:52,674
Colossal stones immaculately cut to block the passageways.
338
00:21:58,150 --> 00:22:01,787
They weighed six tons each.
339
00:22:01,821 --> 00:22:04,657
They were stuck in the main entrance in the tomb
340
00:22:04,690 --> 00:22:07,393
To prevent the tomb robber.
341
00:22:07,426 --> 00:22:08,861
Despite these measures,
342
00:22:08,961 --> 00:22:12,665
The tomb raiders found ingenious ways to break in.
343
00:22:12,698 --> 00:22:14,733
The stones bear mysterious carvings
344
00:22:14,767 --> 00:22:18,204
Said to resemble the nostrils of an ox.
345
00:22:18,237 --> 00:22:21,474
The tomb robber still drilled a hole,
346
00:22:21,507 --> 00:22:24,176
Which was called ox nostril,
347
00:22:24,210 --> 00:22:28,210
In order to put a rope through to pull this stone out
348
00:22:28,914 --> 00:22:32,914
To get into the main chamber of the tomb.
349
00:22:33,485 --> 00:22:35,988
Archaeologists found the tomb raiders
350
00:22:36,021 --> 00:22:39,124
Had also dug a tunnel.
351
00:22:39,158 --> 00:22:43,158
The robber came through the tomb
352
00:22:43,662 --> 00:22:46,665
And went straight to the rear chamber
353
00:22:46,699 --> 00:22:50,699
And stole almost every single piece from the chamber.
354
00:22:51,403 --> 00:22:53,805
Reaching as far as the rear chamber,
355
00:22:53,839 --> 00:22:56,241
The robbers stumbled across some of the richest relics
356
00:22:56,275 --> 00:22:59,044
Of the entire han dynasty.
357
00:23:04,516 --> 00:23:06,551
The kings of chu had buried with them
358
00:23:06,585 --> 00:23:10,489
Treasure on a staggering scale
359
00:23:10,522 --> 00:23:13,959
And their secret to immortality.
360
00:23:18,030 --> 00:23:21,967
2,000 years ago, tomb raiders of ancient china
361
00:23:22,001 --> 00:23:25,771
Broke into the tomb of the king of chu.
362
00:23:25,804 --> 00:23:28,607
What they stole may never be fully known,
363
00:23:28,641 --> 00:23:32,641
But what they left behind is priceless.
364
00:23:34,179 --> 00:23:37,849
Thousands of pieces of jade littered the floor,
365
00:23:37,883 --> 00:23:40,552
Pieces of a giant puzzle--
366
00:23:40,586 --> 00:23:43,889
The shattered remains of the king’s coffin.
367
00:23:49,328 --> 00:23:53,328
This is the only fully restored jade coffin in all of china.
368
00:23:59,171 --> 00:24:01,040
More than 2,000 jade plaques
369
00:24:01,073 --> 00:24:05,073
Attached to the lacquered surface with nails of gold.
370
00:24:05,978 --> 00:24:09,978
Why would tomb raiders abandon such an astonishing treasure?
371
00:24:11,016 --> 00:24:13,652
Because it was useless to them.
372
00:24:13,686 --> 00:24:17,657
Jade was the exclusive property of the emperor himself.
373
00:24:17,690 --> 00:24:21,561
Anyone trying to peddle it would have faced a death sentence,
374
00:24:21,593 --> 00:24:24,029
So the raiders just stripped the superb coffin
375
00:24:24,063 --> 00:24:26,999
Of its 1,700 gold nails,
376
00:24:27,032 --> 00:24:31,032
Leaving a priceless pile of jade pieces behind.
377
00:24:32,104 --> 00:24:35,808
Only a single gold nail survives.
378
00:24:35,908 --> 00:24:38,277
But a painstaking reconstruction has revealed
379
00:24:38,310 --> 00:24:42,310
One of the most magnificent funeral objects ever discovered.
380
00:24:43,515 --> 00:24:47,515
Buried inside the jade coffin was this jade burial suit
381
00:24:47,886 --> 00:24:51,886
Made up of over 4,000 pieces of precious stone
382
00:24:52,257 --> 00:24:56,257
And sewn together with more than three pounds of gold thread.
383
00:24:59,932 --> 00:25:03,932
The suit crafted to fit the contours of the royal body.
384
00:25:06,171 --> 00:25:08,173
The jade suit
385
00:25:08,207 --> 00:25:10,943
Is the most unique burial suit in china,
386
00:25:10,976 --> 00:25:13,479
And possibly in the world.
387
00:25:16,281 --> 00:25:20,085
2,000 years ago, in china’s han dynasty,
388
00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:21,754
When a ruler died,
389
00:25:21,787 --> 00:25:25,787
His corpse was carefully made ready for the afterlife,
390
00:25:26,258 --> 00:25:27,893
And jade was essential
391
00:25:27,926 --> 00:25:31,926
For setting him on the sacred path to immortality.
392
00:25:32,664 --> 00:25:34,900
The ancient chinese didn’t have diamonds,
393
00:25:34,933 --> 00:25:36,368
But they did have jade
394
00:25:36,402 --> 00:25:40,373
As a symbol of imperial authority and sacred power,
395
00:25:40,406 --> 00:25:43,342
And it becomes one of the symbols of imperial authority
396
00:25:43,375 --> 00:25:46,278
To the extent that the word in chinese for jade
397
00:25:46,311 --> 00:25:49,815
Is a picture of a king holding a precious jewel.
398
00:25:54,486 --> 00:25:57,889
For the han, jade became the primary ingredient
399
00:25:57,923 --> 00:26:01,460
In their recipe for immortality.
400
00:26:01,493 --> 00:26:05,493
What i have in front of me are jade objects
401
00:26:06,298 --> 00:26:09,835
That were used either to cover
402
00:26:09,868 --> 00:26:13,868
Or to plug the crucial openings in the human body.
403
00:26:17,543 --> 00:26:19,912
According to ancient chinese medicine,
404
00:26:19,945 --> 00:26:21,613
A person’s vital essence
405
00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,680
Could leak out through bodily orifices.
406
00:26:26,752 --> 00:26:30,522
If you spoke too much,
407
00:26:30,556 --> 00:26:33,993
The vital essence would then concentrate in your mouth
408
00:26:34,026 --> 00:26:37,663
And would be depleted in other parts of your body.
409
00:26:37,696 --> 00:26:41,266
If you listened too much, if you looked at something too much,
410
00:26:41,366 --> 00:26:45,366
And so life needed to be a life of balance.
411
00:26:45,938 --> 00:26:48,073
When a king died, it was essential
412
00:26:48,173 --> 00:26:51,343
To preserve his vital essence for the afterlife
413
00:26:51,376 --> 00:26:54,613
By plugging his orifices with jade.
414
00:26:54,646 --> 00:26:58,350
Jade that would be placed over the eyes,
415
00:26:58,450 --> 00:27:02,450
Plugs placed in one’s ears, plugs in the nostril,
416
00:27:03,956 --> 00:27:07,956
A plug for the anus, as well as a covering for the genitals
417
00:27:08,861 --> 00:27:10,529
In order to ensure
418
00:27:10,662 --> 00:27:14,662
That the vital breath did not leave the body.
419
00:27:20,672 --> 00:27:24,309
For the most important orifice, the mouth,
420
00:27:24,409 --> 00:27:27,779
The chinese created a very special plug,
421
00:27:27,813 --> 00:27:31,317
Shaped like a cicada.
422
00:27:31,350 --> 00:27:34,486
The bizarre life cycle of this curious insect
423
00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:38,520
Made it especially significant to ancient chinese observers.
424
00:27:40,025 --> 00:27:42,494
They noticed how it spends
425
00:27:42,528 --> 00:27:45,798
Most of its life underground,
426
00:27:45,831 --> 00:27:48,467
And then, at a crucial moment,
427
00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:52,500
It digs a tunnel through the earth up to the surface,
428
00:27:52,671 --> 00:27:54,806
And when it reaches the surface,
429
00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:58,840
It sheds its old body and transforms itself.
430
00:28:02,614 --> 00:28:06,614
Here you are buried deep in the earth,
431
00:28:06,919 --> 00:28:10,890
But we’re going to provide you with an exoskeleton,
432
00:28:10,923 --> 00:28:13,359
Similar to that of the cicada,
433
00:28:13,492 --> 00:28:15,594
A marvelous jade suit
434
00:28:15,627 --> 00:28:18,597
That will keep evil influences away from you,
435
00:28:18,764 --> 00:28:22,764
That will allow your soul to exist, to be preserved,
436
00:28:24,069 --> 00:28:28,069
And then at the crucial moment, you can leave from your tomb,
437
00:28:29,841 --> 00:28:33,841
Shed this exoskeleton we’ve provided for you,
438
00:28:34,246 --> 00:28:38,246
And through this body, transform yourself into an immortal.
439
00:28:45,657 --> 00:28:48,193
The belief in jade’s supernatural power
440
00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:52,360
To give immortality gripped the han imagination,
441
00:28:53,465 --> 00:28:57,465
Even driving emperor jing’s son wu to a peculiar addiction.
442
00:28:58,904 --> 00:29:01,306
The early histories tell us
443
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:05,440
That emperor wu instructed his servants
444
00:29:05,944 --> 00:29:09,944
To collect at dawn the sweet dew.
445
00:29:13,185 --> 00:29:16,221
He would have it placed in a cup
446
00:29:16,255 --> 00:29:20,255
And then mixed with the shavings of jade,
447
00:29:23,061 --> 00:29:27,061
Clearly believing that the purity of the jade,
448
00:29:27,733 --> 00:29:31,036
The magical properties of the jade,
449
00:29:31,069 --> 00:29:33,305
Ingested as he was doing,
450
00:29:33,338 --> 00:29:36,608
Would help transform his physical body
451
00:29:36,642 --> 00:29:40,346
So that it had the properties of jade,
452
00:29:40,379 --> 00:29:42,882
And he would last forever.
453
00:29:42,914 --> 00:29:44,382
Emperor wu was one
454
00:29:44,416 --> 00:29:48,416
Of the longest serving emperors ever, reigning nearly 50 years,
455
00:29:49,421 --> 00:29:52,524
However jade contains metal elements
456
00:29:52,557 --> 00:29:56,557
Potentially toxic if ingested,
457
00:29:57,462 --> 00:29:58,964
And there is still no evidence
458
00:29:58,997 --> 00:30:02,767
That jade has any preserving effect on the body.
459
00:30:05,871 --> 00:30:09,641
Nonetheless, han royalty continued to fill their tombs
460
00:30:09,675 --> 00:30:13,345
And cover their bodies with jade.
461
00:30:13,378 --> 00:30:15,981
They were utterly dependent on the power of jade
462
00:30:16,014 --> 00:30:19,184
In their search for immortality.
463
00:30:19,217 --> 00:30:21,453
You get this sense, with many chinese emperors,
464
00:30:21,486 --> 00:30:25,323
That they have become the ruler of the world.
465
00:30:25,357 --> 00:30:27,492
They rule everything under heaven,
466
00:30:27,526 --> 00:30:29,061
But they haven’t conquered death,
467
00:30:29,094 --> 00:30:30,529
And death is going to get them,
468
00:30:30,562 --> 00:30:32,664
And they become more and more conscious of that
469
00:30:32,698 --> 00:30:35,267
As they get older, and they develop these obsessions,
470
00:30:35,300 --> 00:30:37,269
Not only with their tombs,
471
00:30:37,302 --> 00:30:39,805
But with the possibility of becoming immortal.
472
00:30:41,206 --> 00:30:43,842
The precious jade that played such a unique role
473
00:30:43,875 --> 00:30:47,875
In han dynasty funerals is still extremely prized today.
474
00:30:50,382 --> 00:30:53,252
The same 2,000-year-old jade quarries
475
00:30:53,285 --> 00:30:55,754
In hetian, in northwest china,
476
00:30:55,787 --> 00:30:58,189
Still supply the stone to modern workshops
477
00:30:58,223 --> 00:31:02,223
Like this one in xuzhou, 3,000 miles away.
478
00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:10,635
Chinese people believe
479
00:31:10,669 --> 00:31:12,771
Jade has spiritual qualities.
480
00:31:12,804 --> 00:31:16,775
It brings you health and makes your dreams come true.
481
00:31:22,180 --> 00:31:24,716
This is rare mutton fat jade,
482
00:31:24,750 --> 00:31:28,020
Named for its special white color.
483
00:31:28,053 --> 00:31:30,756
Unbelievably, this one piece alone
484
00:31:30,789 --> 00:31:34,789
Is currently worth a staggering $450,000.
485
00:31:35,594 --> 00:31:39,594
From stones like this, craftsmen serving a 10-year apprenticeship
486
00:31:40,198 --> 00:31:41,733
Learn to use modern tools
487
00:31:41,767 --> 00:31:45,767
To create copies of ancient chinese works of art.
488
00:31:46,238 --> 00:31:47,639
Professor li has brought
489
00:31:47,672 --> 00:31:50,608
An original 2,000-year-old jade dragon
490
00:31:50,642 --> 00:31:52,511
From the xuzhou museum
491
00:31:52,544 --> 00:31:54,880
To show one apprentice the extraordinary skill
492
00:31:54,913 --> 00:31:58,913
Of the ancient han dynasty craftsmen.
493
00:32:02,421 --> 00:32:03,856
Let’s look at the shape.
494
00:32:03,889 --> 00:32:07,593
The carving on this one has much more fine detailing than yours.
495
00:32:10,862 --> 00:32:13,331
Yes, 2,000 years ago,
496
00:32:13,365 --> 00:32:16,335
People were very clever.
497
00:32:16,435 --> 00:32:18,904
Modern craftsmen just don’t have the same skill.
498
00:32:20,872 --> 00:32:23,575
Han royals believed their precious jade
499
00:32:23,608 --> 00:32:26,311
Held the secret to immortality,
500
00:32:26,344 --> 00:32:30,344
But as a preservative, it failed miserably.
501
00:32:30,382 --> 00:32:34,382
Unlike egyptian mummies, the jade suits are an empty shell.
502
00:32:35,220 --> 00:32:39,220
Their bodies have turned to dust.
503
00:32:39,925 --> 00:32:41,927
But now exciting new finds
504
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,960
Reveal the han dynasty’s enduring obsession with jade...
505
00:32:48,867 --> 00:32:52,867
And how they clung to their belief in its power,
506
00:32:54,172 --> 00:32:57,042
Even as their empire crumbled.
507
00:33:06,551 --> 00:33:10,551
Modern xuzhou in eastern china,
508
00:33:12,257 --> 00:33:14,860
Capital of the ancient kingdom of chu.
509
00:33:19,498 --> 00:33:23,498
Among the modern skyscrapers is this gigantic mound.
510
00:33:26,438 --> 00:33:29,374
Our third tomb is part of the extraordinary network
511
00:33:29,441 --> 00:33:32,945
Of 2,000-year-old royal burial sites being excavated
512
00:33:32,978 --> 00:33:36,978
By archaeologists in the heart of xuzhou, called tushan.
513
00:33:38,817 --> 00:33:40,952
It’s a pyramid of packed earth
514
00:33:40,986 --> 00:33:43,789
Towering 50 feet over the city...
515
00:33:47,125 --> 00:33:49,361
Built in the later han dynasty,
516
00:33:49,394 --> 00:33:51,930
When their wealth and power were crumbling.
517
00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,571
35 years ago, archaeologists began their preparations
518
00:33:59,604 --> 00:34:03,575
To penetrate the burial chambers here.
519
00:34:03,675 --> 00:34:04,910
With meticulous care,
520
00:34:04,943 --> 00:34:08,046
They hollowed out the pyramid of packed earth
521
00:34:08,079 --> 00:34:12,079
And landscaped over the site, revealing the tomb at its base.
522
00:34:14,819 --> 00:34:18,819
Clearly visible at last, these stone blocks form a roof
523
00:34:19,257 --> 00:34:23,257
Over a series of secret burial chambers dug out of the ground.
524
00:34:26,097 --> 00:34:28,533
Now using cutting-edge technology,
525
00:34:28,567 --> 00:34:31,370
We can see inside for the first time
526
00:34:31,403 --> 00:34:33,639
Without taking it apart.
527
00:34:49,955 --> 00:34:52,157
Three-dimensional laser scans
528
00:34:52,190 --> 00:34:56,190
Can create this virtual model of the entire tomb site.
529
00:35:02,133 --> 00:35:05,903
Our model reveals astonishing detail.
530
00:35:05,937 --> 00:35:09,937
Four layers of giant roof stones collapsed in on itself,
531
00:35:11,443 --> 00:35:15,443
Telltale signs of a break-in by tomb raiders.
532
00:35:19,250 --> 00:35:21,552
In the local history of xuzhou,
533
00:35:21,586 --> 00:35:25,586
Only one tomb robbery is officially recorded.
534
00:35:25,890 --> 00:35:28,726
The prime suspect-- a resourceful tomb raider
535
00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:31,162
By the name of jia hu.
536
00:35:31,196 --> 00:35:33,832
He was accused of building a suspicious hut
537
00:35:33,865 --> 00:35:36,434
On top of the tushan mound.
538
00:35:36,468 --> 00:35:39,604
He built this structure to disguise what he was doing,
539
00:35:39,704 --> 00:35:41,940
And over a 20-year period
540
00:35:42,107 --> 00:35:46,107
He then dug his way deep down into the tomb mound.
541
00:35:52,384 --> 00:35:53,819
The roof collapse
542
00:35:53,852 --> 00:35:56,655
Is evidence of an ancient crime scene.
543
00:36:00,358 --> 00:36:03,261
Archaeologists can now reconstruct the events
544
00:36:03,294 --> 00:36:06,097
From 1,000 years ago.
545
00:36:06,131 --> 00:36:10,131
The tomb raiders dug a hole into the tomb mound
546
00:36:11,536 --> 00:36:13,238
From the northwest,
547
00:36:13,271 --> 00:36:17,008
And they came down roughly to this spot.
548
00:36:24,749 --> 00:36:26,918
And it was there in the central chamber
549
00:36:26,951 --> 00:36:30,951
That they found an enormous array of tomb objects.
550
00:36:46,571 --> 00:36:49,140
They needed a place to sort through things
551
00:36:49,174 --> 00:36:51,943
To decide what they wanted, what was valuable,
552
00:36:51,976 --> 00:36:55,279
What they wouldn’t bother to take away,
553
00:36:55,313 --> 00:36:58,750
So that, for example, there was some clay pottery,
554
00:36:58,783 --> 00:37:02,783
Too much of that stuff, so they just cast that aside.
555
00:37:03,221 --> 00:37:05,690
For the tomb raiders, this was a central area
556
00:37:05,724 --> 00:37:08,060
Where crucial decisions were made,
557
00:37:08,093 --> 00:37:12,093
And from, from an archaeological point of view, it’s fascinating.
558
00:37:15,066 --> 00:37:17,835
The target for jia hu and his gang--
559
00:37:17,869 --> 00:37:21,439
The magnificent treasure in the tomb’s main chamber...
560
00:37:26,044 --> 00:37:30,044
The gold and silver and the precious jade.
561
00:37:32,684 --> 00:37:36,087
At the time of this crime, in the late 12th century,
562
00:37:36,121 --> 00:37:39,658
The taboo on buying and selling this valuable stone
563
00:37:39,691 --> 00:37:41,660
Was no longer in place.
564
00:37:41,726 --> 00:37:44,963
Jade was fair game for tomb raiders,
565
00:37:45,063 --> 00:37:48,667
So professor li’s team fears everything of value inside
566
00:37:48,700 --> 00:37:50,435
Has already been stolen.
567
00:37:53,238 --> 00:37:57,238
The archaeologists now trace the route made by the tomb raiders.
568
00:37:58,543 --> 00:38:01,012
They brush away more dirt
569
00:38:01,045 --> 00:38:04,282
And stumble onto an astonishing find...
570
00:38:10,088 --> 00:38:14,088
The unmistakable geometric pattern of green stone...
571
00:38:17,595 --> 00:38:21,365
The remains of a han royal burial suit.
572
00:38:27,438 --> 00:38:31,438
At the burial mound of tushan in xuzhou, eastern china,
573
00:38:31,676 --> 00:38:34,913
Professor li yinde’s team of archaeologists
574
00:38:34,946 --> 00:38:37,582
Has made an extraordinary find,
575
00:38:37,615 --> 00:38:41,615
The remains of a 2,000-year-old han royal burial suit.
576
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:46,324
Remarkably, its 40 pieces of jade are still together
577
00:38:46,357 --> 00:38:49,827
In their original configuration.
578
00:38:49,861 --> 00:38:51,363
It’s likely the tomb raiders
579
00:38:51,396 --> 00:38:54,833
Dropped part of the burial suit 1,000 years ago
580
00:38:54,866 --> 00:38:57,469
As they made their getaway in the dark.
581
00:39:06,444 --> 00:39:08,746
This rare archaeological discovery
582
00:39:08,780 --> 00:39:11,549
Contains a unique feature--
583
00:39:11,583 --> 00:39:14,453
The jade pieces are still sewn together
584
00:39:14,485 --> 00:39:18,122
With fragments of the original thread.
585
00:39:18,156 --> 00:39:20,759
And one significant detail threatens to upset
586
00:39:20,792 --> 00:39:24,496
Current thinking about who is buried here.
587
00:39:24,529 --> 00:39:27,799
The thread is not gold or even silver.
588
00:39:27,832 --> 00:39:30,735
It’s bronze.
589
00:39:30,768 --> 00:39:34,768
According to historical record, this is the tomb of a king.
590
00:39:35,006 --> 00:39:39,006
His suit should be threaded with silver, not bronze like this.
591
00:39:41,312 --> 00:39:45,312
Even though the tomb is smaller than early han burials,
592
00:39:45,416 --> 00:39:48,052
The suit itself is made of fine quality
593
00:39:48,086 --> 00:39:51,690
And beautifully worked jade pieces.
594
00:39:51,723 --> 00:39:53,525
If this is a king,
595
00:39:53,558 --> 00:39:56,394
How did he end up with a precious jade suit
596
00:39:56,427 --> 00:40:00,031
Sewn together with inferior thread?
597
00:40:00,064 --> 00:40:01,365
It’s inconsistent
598
00:40:01,399 --> 00:40:02,934
With the literary records,
599
00:40:02,967 --> 00:40:04,669
Maybe because the records were incomplete,
600
00:40:04,702 --> 00:40:08,702
So this is more valuable.
601
00:40:08,907 --> 00:40:11,176
For archaeological analysis,
602
00:40:11,209 --> 00:40:13,945
It’s important to preserve not only the object
603
00:40:13,978 --> 00:40:17,978
But how the object was found in the location.
604
00:40:19,083 --> 00:40:21,986
It’s now time for the archaeologists to lift
605
00:40:22,020 --> 00:40:25,924
The pieces of the jade suit abandoned by the tomb raiders.
606
00:40:28,626 --> 00:40:32,597
They pour a special resin over a carefully marked area.
607
00:40:32,630 --> 00:40:36,630
The resin will quickly harden, with the jade embedded in it,
608
00:40:37,035 --> 00:40:41,035
To be extracted in one piece and taken to the lab.
609
00:40:53,751 --> 00:40:57,421
What we’re looking at here are the jade pieces
610
00:40:57,455 --> 00:40:59,057
That were, of course,
611
00:40:59,090 --> 00:41:03,090
Part of this, part of the jade suit.
612
00:41:04,696 --> 00:41:07,432
The size and configuration of the pieces
613
00:41:07,565 --> 00:41:09,067
Suggest they are a cuff
614
00:41:09,100 --> 00:41:13,100
From the ankle or wrist of the burial suit.
615
00:41:14,172 --> 00:41:18,076
It’s very rare that we have an opportunity
616
00:41:18,109 --> 00:41:22,109
To see the jade pieces together, more or less in place,
617
00:41:24,382 --> 00:41:27,051
And because we’re seeing them together,
618
00:41:27,085 --> 00:41:28,653
The thread is intact.
619
00:41:28,686 --> 00:41:32,686
When we look at the thread through this magnifying glass,
620
00:41:33,057 --> 00:41:35,726
We see that it’s made out of bronze,
621
00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:38,529
Bronze that has already corroded
622
00:41:38,563 --> 00:41:42,563
And hence has a light green patina around its surface.
623
00:41:47,238 --> 00:41:51,238
The bronze is a much cheaper substitute for silver,
624
00:41:51,576 --> 00:41:54,479
But closer examination of one piece of jade
625
00:41:54,545 --> 00:41:57,748
Reveals another astounding twist.
626
00:41:57,782 --> 00:42:00,785
On the corner of this small jade piece,
627
00:42:00,818 --> 00:42:02,286
Mr. Jiao and his colleagues
628
00:42:02,387 --> 00:42:06,387
Have discovered a tiny bit of gold foil,
629
00:42:07,959 --> 00:42:11,396
And they believe that this gold foil
630
00:42:11,429 --> 00:42:14,966
Was wrapped around bronze thread.
631
00:42:14,999 --> 00:42:17,535
So the thread wasn’t simply bronze.
632
00:42:17,568 --> 00:42:20,004
It was bronze wrapped in gold,
633
00:42:20,038 --> 00:42:22,941
As though keeping up appearances.
634
00:42:22,974 --> 00:42:25,310
And what’s interesting about this
635
00:42:25,343 --> 00:42:29,080
Is that according to common practice,
636
00:42:29,113 --> 00:42:32,984
According to common valuation,
637
00:42:33,017 --> 00:42:37,017
Bronze wrapped in gold equals silver,
638
00:42:38,156 --> 00:42:42,156
And so that combination renders the jade suit,
639
00:42:44,929 --> 00:42:47,532
With the thread as we have discovered it,
640
00:42:47,565 --> 00:42:51,565
Completely in harmony with the ancient records
641
00:42:51,869 --> 00:42:55,869
That dictate what a local king should be using.
642
00:42:56,607 --> 00:42:58,109
It’s a smart ploy
643
00:42:58,142 --> 00:43:02,142
For making the cheaper thread in the suit look expensive.
644
00:43:02,513 --> 00:43:05,583
This and a more modest-sized tomb
645
00:43:05,616 --> 00:43:09,420
Seems to indicate a king living beyond his means.
646
00:43:09,454 --> 00:43:13,124
The empire’s fortune is in decline.
647
00:43:13,157 --> 00:43:17,157
Few tombs of han kings from this time have ever been found,
648
00:43:17,295 --> 00:43:20,465
Much less identified.
649
00:43:20,498 --> 00:43:21,933
The discovery of this thread
650
00:43:21,966 --> 00:43:25,966
Confirms that they’ve found a han king of chu.
651
00:43:27,371 --> 00:43:31,371
His exact identity remains a riddle.
652
00:43:34,745 --> 00:43:36,647
We are very certain now
653
00:43:36,681 --> 00:43:39,751
That this is a later han king of ancient xuzhou.
654
00:43:44,222 --> 00:43:46,191
This mysterious king was buried
655
00:43:46,290 --> 00:43:49,660
When the golden age of the han dynasty was over.
656
00:43:49,694 --> 00:43:51,863
His suit, sewn with bronze thread
657
00:43:51,896 --> 00:43:54,499
Disguised in a thin layer of gold,
658
00:43:54,532 --> 00:43:57,301
Is a clue that after four centuries of glory,
659
00:43:57,335 --> 00:44:01,172
The dynasty was facing its final days.
660
00:44:01,205 --> 00:44:04,942
Their power and influence was in terminal decline,
661
00:44:05,042 --> 00:44:08,112
As rebellious kings and weak emperors
662
00:44:08,146 --> 00:44:10,315
Tore the dynasty apart.
663
00:44:14,685 --> 00:44:17,621
But all things come to an end.
664
00:44:17,722 --> 00:44:20,858
While we’ll see, later on in the han,
665
00:44:20,892 --> 00:44:24,892
Examples of tomb grandeur, generally speaking,
666
00:44:26,497 --> 00:44:30,497
The tradition diminishes as the han itself diminishes
667
00:44:31,235 --> 00:44:35,206
In its, in its closing decades.
668
00:44:38,376 --> 00:44:39,444
On the surface,
669
00:44:39,477 --> 00:44:42,613
The han dynasty itself faded away.
670
00:44:42,647 --> 00:44:46,151
They buried their magnificent treasure of terra-cotta and jade
671
00:44:46,184 --> 00:44:48,653
In their tombs,
672
00:44:48,686 --> 00:44:52,686
But they left china far more than worldly wealth.
673
00:44:54,358 --> 00:44:55,993
Arguably one of the greatest achievements
674
00:44:56,027 --> 00:44:57,295
Of the han dynasty
675
00:44:57,328 --> 00:44:59,530
Is that by lasting for 400 years,
676
00:44:59,630 --> 00:45:01,565
They were able to homogenize everything.
677
00:45:01,599 --> 00:45:04,335
They were able to take these disparate kingdoms
678
00:45:04,468 --> 00:45:06,036
And countries and provinces
679
00:45:06,070 --> 00:45:08,839
And smooth out their cultures,
680
00:45:08,873 --> 00:45:11,576
Give them all a sense of being chinese.
681
00:45:15,012 --> 00:45:17,381
Today over 90 percent of chinese people
682
00:45:17,481 --> 00:45:20,951
Consider themselves to be ethnic han.
683
00:45:20,985 --> 00:45:24,455
They refer to their language as the han language.
684
00:45:24,488 --> 00:45:28,488
They refer to their writing system as the han script.
685
00:45:28,693 --> 00:45:30,728
And all of this reflects
686
00:45:30,761 --> 00:45:34,198
The perception of modern-day chinese,
687
00:45:34,232 --> 00:45:37,268
That when they’re looking to their beginnings,
688
00:45:37,435 --> 00:45:41,435
They certainly must look to the han.
689
00:45:41,505 --> 00:45:44,108
They searched for eternal life.
690
00:45:44,208 --> 00:45:48,208
They gave modern china a unified social and cultural identity.
691
00:45:49,780 --> 00:45:53,550
That is the immortality of the han dynasty.
55296
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