秦始皇陵的内部结构是什么样的？

最早记载内部结构的是《史记·秦始皇本纪》，司马迁写道：“穿三泉，下铜而致椁，宫观百官奇器珍怪徙藏满之。令匠作机弩矢，有所穿近者辄射之。以水银为百川江河大海……以人鱼膏为烛，度不灭者久之。”但这样的记载到底真实不真实呢？

在2002年以前，很多考古学家对帝王陵墓的印象就是：它只是一层用黄土夯筑而成的巨大土堆。里面顶多埋葬着帝王，不可能有建筑物。但这个理论，在2002年秦始皇陵勘探过程中被打破了。

当时，国家为了研究秦始皇陵，成立了“863计划”研究小组，分了三组：一组是国家地质调查局负责物探，一组是煤炭地质局负责遥感，还有一组是我（段清波）负责考古勘探。

在勘探过程中，国家地质调查局的负责人刘士毅先生发现：秦始皇陵在高高堆起的封土（现在高50米，秦朝时高115米）里头，不仅仅是一层单独的夯土，里面可能还有大体积的建筑！他赶紧把这消息告诉了段清波。段清波以他以往的知识，首先给予否定，说不可能！因为但凡在帝王陵中，封土底下不可能再有建筑。如果外面是土，里面还包着建筑，那怎么可能？这简直是天方夜谭。

但是，后来经过不断的洛阳铲勘探。

在这里解释几个概念：

· 五花土：就是古时候人把土挖了，又填回去，土被扰动过，掺着各种颜色的土，一旦挖出五花土，底下肯定有古墓或陪葬品。· 原始土：就是本身没有经过人为扰动的千年前的土。· 扰动土：就是后来的盗墓者或者后代人，打破了之前的土，叫扰动土。

段清波他们用洛阳铲勘探之后，第一铲下去就发现了问题。原来，封土外层是很粗糙的夯土（60-70厘米厚），但里面发现的，是只有6-7厘米厚的细夯土。这种精细的夯土，是秦汉高等级建筑的标配。这就证明，里面真的有建筑！

经过多年的勘探，考古学家得出结论：这是一个秦始皇打造的、高度达30多米（相当于10层楼高）、上窄下宽、呈九层台阶状的巨大建筑！这绝不是天方夜谭，是有事实依据的。

于是大家就会问，为什么秦始皇要在自己的陵墓内建这九层建筑？这个其实不是秦始皇独创。在战国时期，包括后来考古学家发现中山国、赵国、燕国都有。比如中山国出土了一件铜版《兆域图》，里面的确有当时战国时期关于帝王陵墓的绘图，图上标有“王堂”“王后堂”等位置，这应该就是当时陵墓上的祭祀建筑，叫“享堂”，有点像我们现在的祖堂牌位。

所以，这应该是秦始皇延传了战国时期建“享堂”的习俗。

但秦始皇为什么要把它盖在封土里面？后面慢慢来解读……

Look at this large mound. It is more than 50 meters high. The ancient history book says the tomb had rivers of mercury and stars on the ceiling.

But until 2002, almost all archaeologists believed that an emperor's tomb mound was just a simple pile of earth. There could be no buildings inside the earth.

In 2002, a high-tech project started. A scientist named Liu told the archaeologist Duan Qingbo: "We found a huge building inside the mound!"

Duan didn't believe it. He said: "Impossible! No one has ever heard of a building inside an emperor's tomb mound."

To find out the truth, Duan used the Luoyang Shovel to dig into the top of the mound.

How does the shovel work? If it brings up clean, natural soil, there is nothing there. If it brings up "mottled soil" (五花土) – which is different colors of soil mixed together by ancient people digging – it means there is a tomb underneath.

The first time they dug, they were shocked! The outer earth was rough. But deep inside, they found very fine, hard earth. This special earth was used for high-level buildings.

After years of digging, they discovered a huge secret: Inside the 50-meter mound, there is a giant building! It is 30 meters high (like a 10-story building), with nine steps. And on these steps, there were wooden rooms with roof tiles!

Why did Qin Shi Huang build a 10-story building inside his tomb mound?

In the Warring States period, people built houses on top of tombs to pray to their ancestors. These houses were called "Xiang Tang" (享堂) – Memorial Halls. For example, the tomb of the King of Zhongshan had a design map showing these halls.

So, experts believe the building inside the mound is a giant Memorial Hall for Qin Shi Huang. But Qin Shi Huang hid it inside the earth. This is a unique and amazing creation in Chinese history!