My last will is comparatively simple

China's first emperor was a guy known for his ruthlessness, and was
also responsible for such things as unifying the country under one
rule (his) and, oh, beginning construction of that Great Wall so often
mentioned in the same breath as China. So when he kicked it after 37
years as emperor, you could expect it to be a big deal.

The most spectacular part of his tomb (discovered so far, anyway)
describes itself as the eighth wonder of the world. And it is hard to
argue.

Entombed with him were at least 8,000 soldiers made of terracotta and
sculpted in the likeness of his actual army. I mean, likeness. No two
are identical. Each were armed with brass weapons that when unearthed
in the '70s were reportedly still sharp after being interred for two
millennia. Originally, they were intricately painted, and represent
soldiers, archers, cavalry and charioteers of various ranks.

Many survived the ravages of history. (In China, then as more
recently, deliberate purges of antiquities have often been far more
destructive than the elements, as new regimes have tried to wipe the
slate clean for themselves.) In part because they were so well hidden.
Emperor Qin is thought to have executed everyone who worked on the
project to preserve its secrets. The museum estimates that 720,000
people were involved, and that construction took 40 years to complete.

This has been a jaw-dropping day. (I'm also feeling a little better,
which helps too.)