this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023
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[–] darmabum@lemm.ee 44 points 1 year ago (4 children)

They mention high mercury levels as a trap or from wine that the emperor drank, but neither is likely (they often used to add lead to wine as a sweetener, but not mercury AFAIK). But, mercury contamination in tombs, especially in Asia, is very common from the heavy use of the deep red pigment cinnabar, also called vermillion, which is mercury sulfide.

[–] PassingDuchy@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago

Faik the worry isn't from wine the emperor drank (though I think the consensus is he did take a hell of a lot of mercury as medicine believing it'd give immortality). It's the described artistic floor map of China (at the time) with the rivers of liquid mercury suggested as being real by the high mercury readings.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They mention that they think rivers were recreated in the tomb using mercury.

[–] Cortell@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I’ve heard of lead being used as sweetener for the Romans but never the Chinese

[–] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Dude the emperor used to take his boat out on a lake of mercury.

[–] JustAManOnAToilet@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Well clearly that's why he's dead now.