11. Terracotta Army (Estimated Cost: $10 million)
An ordinary tombstone is a simple block of engraved stone placed on top of a grave. Being the first Qin Emperor of China, it should come as no surprise that Qin Shi Huang had no ordinary tombstone.
Instead of one block of stone, he had thousands of carved stones with the shape and size of real-life soldiers. They were made and put there to protect the emperor in his afterlife.
There are more than 8,000 of these in Shaanxi, China, where the emperor was buried. Besides, there are also hundreds of other sculptures such as musicians and officials. Perhaps to entertain him in the afterlife?
The sculptures are actually spread over several kilometers as they were discovered in 1974. Just by its width, this tomb is the second largest in the world. Each of these sculptures is estimated to worth around 5,000 Chinese Yuan ($750). So, the cost of materials, carving, and transporting them is around $10 million in total.
