Terracotta Army (Civ6)/Civilopedia

Since his efforts at immortality didn’t bear fruit, when it came time for Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of Qin, to be interred, he made sure that it was done with style as befitted his greatness. Never lacking in hubris, the emperor had ordered work to begin on his mausoleum in 246 BC, when he was but 13 years old and just ascended to the throne. According to the Chinese geographer Li Daoyuan, writing six centuries after, Mount Li was selected for the site because of its auspicious geology, with its southern face rich in jade and its northern slopes in gold. In the Records of the Grand Historian (by one Sima Qian), it is claimed some 700 thousand laborers would be employed in digging and outfitting the tomb and filling it with 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with horses, and 150 mounted cavalry – all made from clay-based ceramic – and armed with functioning weapons. Arranged in military formation. Hence, the “Terracotta Army.” Undisturbed until 1974, when discovered by peasants attempting to dig a well. So much for hubris.