But finding the final resting spot of this fearsome conqueror was never going to be easy, especially since he went to great lengths to make sure his grave was undisturbed. According to Chinese texts, Genghis issued detailed orders to his trusted generals instructing them to make certain that his tomb remain hidden for all time. Legend goes that when Genghis's cortege brought his corpse back to Mongolia from the Chinese region where he had died in battle (or in bed), every living creature they encountered was killed. And, just as pirates dispose of those who help to bury their treasure, the generals slaughtered the people who dug Genghis's tomb and buried them in a nearby mass grave.

Imagine the history world's surprise, then, when in August 2001, a group of American and Mongolian entrepreneurs and academics calling themselves the Genghis Khan Expedition claimed that they had zeroed in on the burial spot of Mongolia's founding father. Was it possible that one of the world's greatest mysteries was about to be solved? Answer: not ­really. Or at least a highly probable not really. But, being the intrepid reporter and archaeology buff that I am, I decided to drop everything and head out to see this discovery for myself.

MONGOLIA SHOCKS first-time visitors, and not just because things like the local drink (a beverage traditionally made with fermented mare's milk, called kumis) are slightly less than appetizing, but because the whole experience feels a lot like an interplanetary journey - to planet Genghis. Imagine combining George Washington with Justin Timberlake. Genghis is that ubiquitous, and that revered.