Inside a Tomb Raid

By Text by Kate Drake

A Xi'an gang broke into the 2,000-year-old tomb of China's Empress Dou and made off with a slew of rare artifacts. Here's how:

1 Near Empress Dou's burial mound, raiders use a TANGAN to take soil samples, which indicate the exact location of the 131 ft. by 131 ft. tomb, buried deep underground

2 To speed up the digging, the gang blows out a crater at the surface with dynamite. They are careful not to set off the charge directly over the tomb--the impact might collapse the roof

3 A tunnel 115 ft. deep is excavated. The gang uses ropes to lower members and gear into the hole. An AIR BLOWER powered by a PORTABLE GENERATOR pumps in fresh air from the surface

4 To reach the tomb's roof, the raiders begin digging a 40-ft. spur tunnel at 98 ft. below

5 The raiders saw through the tomb's wood-plank roof. Wearing GAS MASKS, the gang now has access to the burial chamber--and all the treasures it contains

EMPRESS DOU'S GRAVE

Imperial gravediggers surround tombs with charcoal and dried mud for protection against moisture

Only cypress wood was used, probably for its ability to absorb water

Statues symbolize the servants, soldiers and maidens who served the royals in life

Empress Dou's coffin is surrounded by a wooden structure called huangchang ticou, a burial method reserved for Han dynasty emperors and their wives and concubines

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

GAS MASKS Filter out stale air and noxious gases--built up during centuries of decay--inside the tomb

TANGAN This special shovel, which has a curved blade and steel screw-on handle extensions, can extract soil samples from 115 ft. below the earth's surface

AIR BLOWER An industrial electric fan pumps fresh air down the tunnel shaft to ventilate the burial chamber

PORTABLE GENERATOR The diesel-powered machine produces electricity to run fans and lights

Sources: Xi'an Municipal Public Securities Bureau; Shaanxi Archaeology Research Institute; China's Buried Kingdoms (TIME-LIFE Books)