Tools and Traps
Information that may be of use during those unfortunate moments in life when one finds oneself trapped 10 feet underground in the antechamber of a labyrinthine Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) mausoleum…

Luoyang shovel 洛阳铲 Luòyáng chǎn.
Invented in 1923 by a grave robber from Luoyang, the shovel is the one article of archaeological equipment that no self-respecting grave robber should be without. A U-shaped cylinder some two inches in diameter, the Luoyang shovel allows the user to extract a long section of earth while preserving the soil structure. Thus the grave robber can analyze the soil for any evidence of underground structures.

Where there are grave robbers, there are countermeasures, which most commonly take the form of traps designed to catch intruders unawares. A few of the most common are:

Crossbow trap 暗努弩 Ànnǔ
The bread and butter of tomb-based anti-theft devices, the crossbow trap is triggered by tripping a cord or stepping on a mechanism that shoots a crossbow bolt from a hidden alcove. Legend has it that the tomb of the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, is rife with crossbow traps.

Sand trap 流沙 Liúshā
In fiction, the sand trap involves a complex mechanism that, when triggered, drops a heap of sand on the unsuspecting intruder from above, thus burying them alive. In reality, tombs have been discovered in which the entire burial chamber is filled with fine sand. This protects it from being violated, as any prospective grave robber would simply find sand pouring out of any entrance hole they happen to unearth.

Revolving floor panel 连环翻板 Liánhuán fānbǎn
A favorite device in grave-robbing fiction, the revolving floor panel is a wooden floor board that covers a pit some three meters deep. The board is designed to give way when pressure is applied, before returning to its original position. The unfortunate trespasser is cast into the pit below, where sharp spears or wooden stakes await…