CHINGIS KHAAN'S SPIRIT DISTURBED

[Guest guest]

CHINGIS KHAAN'S

SPIRIT DISTURBED

One of stone monuments to the rulers of steppe empires.

 

The worlsd media erupted last August with sensational

headlines "Chinggis Khaan Thomb found!Digging up Genghis Khan"

 

At a press conference held in Chicago on August 17th the research

team led by Prof. John E. Woods, director of the Middle East Studies

department and Mr. Maury Cravitz, a Chicago based commodity trader

and lawyer, announced that they found a burial site some 200 miles

northeast from the Mongolian capital that may contain the remains of

the Mongolian khans and nobles, including Chinggis Khaan.

 

"It is an exciting discovery because it's located near where some

other important events occurred in Khan's life," says University of

Chicago history professor John Woods.

 

The walled burial ground is known locally by a variety of names such

as "the Almsgivers Castle," and believed to serve as a fortification

built during the Hun time or 3rd century before B.C.

 

Some 3.2 km long and nine feet high stone wall fences out an area of

about 100 hectares of sparsely forested rugged mountains in

Batshireet locality in Khentii province. In that area the expedition

spotted about 60 graveyards believed to belong to the Mongolian

khans, princes and other nobles.

 

The area was guarded for generations by a small tribe of royal

guards, but nowadays only one remained. "I do not know the reason,

but my father told me guard the place against intruders," says the

last of loyal guards, now an ordinary herder.

 

 

A defensive wall circling the Great Taboo area in Khentii province

 

"We do hope that the government will pay due attention and take the

site under protection," says Dr. Bazargur of the Mongolian Institute

of Geography.

 

"It will be even better if it allows us to continue exploration and

digging given the special significance of the possible finding."

 

When the expedition began in July 2000, many experts doubted whether

it could really find the tomb.

 

The Japanese expedition searched Mongolia during 1991-1993 using

satellite data and the most advanced technologies. They found more

than 1,400 graveyards from different periods but failed to identify

one that may belong to Chinggis Khaan.

 

Not the least reason was the strong public sentiment against

disturbing the graveyards, and the government refused the Japanese

expedition any digging.

 

"Keeping the location of Khan's tomb secret may have been an attempt

to deter grave robbers from plundering a possible treasure trove

buried with him, and may also be related to the shamanistic belief

that disturbing the remains of the dead would destroy the soul of the

interred," Woods said. "

 

 

 

Mongolian cavalry crossing a river.

 

According to chronicles Chinggis Khaan died on July 12 of 1227 while

leading an offensive against the Tanguts state, presently in Ningxia

autonomous region of China.

 

Legends say that his body was taken on a cart back home, to the

Mountain of Burkhan Khaldun where he once ordered to bury him after

the death. Special precautions were taken to conceal the burial

place.

 

All the people on the road were killed, and even the envoy was

decimated. To assure that nobody can find the place a herd of horses

was pastured over the place for months. In addition, after few years

a young camel was buried on the tomb site and the she camel brought

in to check whether it can find the place.

 

 

Moreover, khaan's personal bodyguards from the tribe of Darkhats were

assigned to protect the Great Taboo area and they dutifully served

for more than six hundred years, until being dispatched to northern

borders by the Manchu emperors in 19th century.

 

The expedition claims that the burial site of the escort men or

around 100 soldiers have been found as well at some 30 miles form the

nobles graveyards. Through the expedition members do not divulge

openly their expectations, apparently hopes are high.

 

 

Maury Cravitz, continues his 30 years long quest for the Tomb.

 

"There are tantalizing references in oral epics to maidens being

sacrificed and booty. We don't know what to expect," Prof. Woods says.

 

While Mr. Cravitz is more confident that the tomb may contain vast

treasures. "Nothing out of the booty collected from all over the vast

empire emerged."

 

Though the expedition has not secured yet official permission to do

archeological digging at the site, the team has petitioned the prime

minister through the Mongolian counterparts.

 

Meantime, the latest news is that Hollywood martial art star Steven

Sigal plans to direct an action movie about Chinggis Khaan, playing

the latter role himself.

 

He was expected to arrive to Mongolia on September 20 and to travel

to the Khentii Mountains to familiarize with the local flavor, but he

had to postpone his visit due to the terrorist attacks on Twin Towers

in New York.