Did you know
Qin Shi Huang (259 to 210 BCE), the first emperor of China, was obsessed with finding the elixir of life and popular legend has it that he would constantly drink mixtures of mercury, believing that it was the key to longevity. He died at the age of 49, quite probably as a result of mercury poisoning – as well as the stress of running an empire. It is believed that Qin Shin Huang’s tomb is encircled with rivers of liquid mercury, which ancient Chinese believe could bestow immortality. This moat of mercury is a major reason why his tomb has yet to be explored as the high levels of mercury in the soil would make it a very dangerous environment for archaeologists to work in