Have They Found The Tomb of Genghis Khan? A team searching for Genghis Khan's elusive grave site said in mid-August it has discovered a promising walled burial ground 200 miles (320 kilometers) northeast of the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, which may contain the conqueror's remains. "We plan to explore this site further with additional experts from the U.S. and Mongolia," said University of Chicago history professor John Woods, who directed the summertime expedition. "The location of this site is intriguing," Woods said in a statement. "This is an unprecedented discovery; however, we need to investigate the area archaeologically before we can confirm this exciting finding." Legend has it that Khan, whose conquests created an empire spanning two-thirds of the civilized world from the Caspian Sea to present-day Hong Kong, was buried in 1227 by 2,000 servants who were slaughtered by 800 soldiers, who in turn were killed upon their return to the capital to preserve the secrecy of his resting place. That is why the site of Khan's tomb became known as the Ikh Khoring or the Great Taboo. The hilltop site discovered near the Mongolian town of Batshireet in Hentii Province contains at least 20 unopened tombs apparently associated with persons of high status. It is bordered by a 2-mile-long wall nine feet to 12 feet high and may lie near Khan's probable birthplace, and possibly near where he was proclaimed emperor of all the Mongols in 1206, the statement said. A preliminary survey of the site shows it contains roughly 40 more graves at a lower elevation and an ancient roadway connecting the upper and lower levels. Pottery shards found on the surface may predate Genghis Khan's birth in 1162. (end) © Khorhseed.com - Sep 2001