China's Qin Terracotta Army - the chinese clay warriors - pictures - images China's Qin Terracotta Army Related link pages The Terracotta Army The weather was very dry in 1974, and the grain was dying in the fields in Lintong county, Shaanxi province, near Xian, China, and some local farmers decided to try to establish a new water well by digging at a low point in the terrain. They encountered very hard red earth about a meter down and then, on the third day, they dug out something resembling a jar whch one of the villagers wanted to take home to use as a container. They also recovered a clay torso which was "like a statue in a temple". In time the torso was to become established as having been the body of one of an actual army of terracotta clay warriors and the 'jar' to have been the head of one of these clay warriors. The farmers in this area had routinely come across terracotta clay fragments as they worked their fields and had sold many bronze arrowheads they also discovered to the recycling station.

Some time later a Lintong county official responsible for cultural relics learnt that a large number of terracotta fragments had been found and rushed to the site and asked the farmers to collect the fragments of heads, torsos, arms and legs they had recovered and pile them into three trucks, before taking them to Lintong Museum and attempting to reconstruct the fragments into their original statues. It wasn't until archaeologists arrived months later it was realized that the farmers had stumbled upon an astonishing find in the form of large-scale terracotta warriors buried in the ground in which they had been digging. The authorities were called in and subsequent investigations over a number of years have yielded up a terracotta clay army of figures depicting warriors, archers and calvalry men together with a number of horse-drawn chariots and some figures which were believed to depict persons of officer rank. The chinese terracotta army has been dated to around 210 B.C. and is believed to have been created by the first Emperor of a unified China - Qin Shi Huang. The words Shi Huang translate as - First Emperor - so this individual is also known as the first Emperor of the Qin dynasty.

Chinese civilization has its roots in Shaanxi and Henan provinces where the Huang He, or Yellow River, winds its way through its fertile valleys. The Han Chinese settled this area in the 3rd century BC. Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, lies just a few miles to the west of where the Wei and Huang He converge. Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses is located Qin, who died in 210 BC at the age of 50, created China's first unified state by conquering seven rival kingdoms. He built an extensive system of roads and canals along with an early incarnation of the Great Wall of China. He introduced standard measurements, a single written language, currency and law. Prior to the drought-stricken farmer's discoveries of 1974 the underground presence of the Terracotta Army was totally unknown. The subsequent investigations of what was becoming appreciated as being an archaeological find of the first importance has allowed a body of insights to be built up towards the understanding of the costumes, armaments, technology and societal organisation an entire, and historically significant, human culture.

The first Qin Emperor, after forcibly incorporating other historically warring territories under his own rule eventually bequeathed "China" to posterity. As these images and pictures show the terracotta warriors were buried in place in their ranks in several long pits close to the tomb of the first emperor - possibly as guards and as aides for a future after-life. The swords, lances, halberds and crossbows entombed with the Terracotta Army are believed to have been new, and fully functional as military equipment when buried. Blades show evidence of having been sharpened on a sort of rotary lathe or spinning whetstone. The forty thousand heads of crossbow bolts, or arrows, have been analysed revealing hard, and penetrating, "heads" of a bronze alloy containing some 20% tin to having been cast onto relatively flexible "tangs" which were some 3% tin, 1% lead and 96% copper. The composite heads could then be mounted within slim wooden shafts, forming quite lethal bolts or arrows. (Credit: Martinón-Torres, M, Li, X.J., Bevan, A, Xia, Y, Kun, Z and Rehren, T 2011.

Making Weapons for the Terracotta Army. Archaeology International 13:65-75, DOI: Some of these martial artefacts feature a marked degree of good preservation despite having been underground, and in contact with soils, moisture, etc., for some 2,200 years. This high degree of preservation is in many cases due to the presence of a thin coating of Chromium Oxide demonstrating that the Terracotta Army's armourers utilised chromium plating technologies that were not subsequently equalled for more than two thousand years. It has been estimated that perhaps, 700,000 people were involved in the construction of an imperial tomb or mausoleum with an associated necropolis (i.e. city of the dead) and its accompanying army of terracotta warriors. The bodies and limbs of the terracotta warriors were seemingly originally cast, as wet clay, into moulds before being processed into long-lasting fired clay. Slight adjustments having been made to the original clay moulding allowing for the depiction of a range of physical characteristics and bodily attitudes.

The heads, faces, ears, facial hair, hairstyles and head-wear of each member of the Terracotta Army are, however, fashioned such as to give the appearance of an assembly of individuals. The terracotta figures of warriors and horses, each of which tends to vary in height, uniform, and hairstyle in accordance with rank, are arranged in the battle formations accepted by the Qin Emperor. The recovered artefacts suggest that crossbowmen were significantly present in the ranks before and behind the charioteers and also within the two flanking files where their actions could help to deter approaching rivals. (Credit: Martinón-Torres, M, Li, X.J., Bevan, A, Xia, Y, Kun, Z and Rehren, T 2011. Making Weapons for the Terracotta Army. Archaeology International 13:65-75, DOI: To date four major, and several hundred lesser, underground pits, totaling 22,000 square meters, have been discovered with an estimated 8,000 life-size terracotta figures of warriors together with 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses.

Some of the terracotta warriors have no been found with no beards, but for ancient Chinese, facial hair was part of the culture, so those warriors could be considered to represent soldiers under 17 years old. At between five feet eight inches and six and a half feet (or two metres) tall, the human statues weigh between three and four hundred pounds (or one hundred and eighty kilos). There are also some terracotta figures of actors, performers and civilian officials as well as ancient armour from the Qin Dynasty that were made in some of the smaller pits, The terracotta actors are depicted mostly half-naked, wearing skirts of ancient court performers hired to amuse the emperor and officials. Each terracotta actor is in a different pose to show the variety of court entertainment. The Qin Emperor's Mausoleum Complex is laid out on a large scale with the pits housing the Terracotta Army actually being located between the Imperial Tomb and the homelands of the most formidable of the subject peoples the Qin Emperor's armies had subdued. (Credit: Martinón-Torres, M, Li, X.J., Bevan, A, Xia, Y, Kun, Z and Rehren, T 2011.

Making Weapons for the Terracotta Army. Archaeology International 13:65-75, DOI: Each of the major pits lies 15 to 20 feet (5-7 Meters) below current ground level and was constructed with the figures placed in corridors or rooms. These corridors, separated by earthen walls, are paved with pottery bricks on which the warriors and horses stand. Large wooden planks placed over the corridors between the earthen walls and covered by layers of mats made from reed fibres formed the roofing. This was then covered by earth to conceal the the army's location. The Qin Imperial burial ground itself exhibits a 80-metre-high earth pyramid standing on top of a burial chamber but this is located at the center of a giant necropolis, or city of the dead, spread over 2.13 sq km with an inner underground palace surrounded by an outer city. The outside walls of the tomb complex are as if placed there to protect the tomb from the east, where all the conquered states lay. They are solidly built with rammed earth walls and ground layers as hard as concrete.

The four seven-meter-deep principal pits associated with the dig are about 1.5 km east of the Qin Imperial burial ground. Pit one, (the largest at 230 meters long, first opened to the public in 1979), which contains the main army, has 11 corridors, most of which are over 3 meters wide, and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of noblemen and would have resembled palace hallways. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil making them, when built, about 2 to 3 meters higher than ground level. Pit two (found in 1976 and unveiled to the public in 1994), housed cavalry and infantry units as well as war chariots, and is thought to represent a military guard. Pit three (found in 1976 and on display in 1989) is the command post, with high ranking officers and a war chariot. A fourth pit is empty, seemingly having been left unfinished by its builders.

In the 2,000 years since the construction of the pits the roofing collapsed damaging the figures. The first excavation of the site lasted six years betweeen 1978 and 1984, during which some 1,087 clay soldiers were discovered. A second excavation started in 1985 but was cut short after a year. The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Lintong county, some 35 km from central Xi'an, has received about 70 million visitors, including at least 7 million from abroad since opening to the public in 1979. The terracotta clay army is one of the greatest archaeological finds of modern times and forms the centrepiece of a major archaeological discovery location that was listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. In 2009 archaeologists resumed fairly large-scale investigations into the terracotta warriors in the hope that more recent technological advances would allow a greater insight to be obtained into the original pigmentation applied to the individual members of the terracotta army when they were originally made.

In past excavations, clay figures bearing traces of rich colour were unearthed but once they were exposed to the air the colours began to lose their definition and turned into an oxidized grey. One archaeologist working on site said, "there is colour here, in the pupil and on this part of the cheek and on the forehead you can see the colour of the hair," as he drew attention the faint colours on the face of a recently uncovered warrior. Exposure to air and light had depleted to original colouration on the many terracotta warriors already recovered largely as a result of a laquer coating originally binding the pigment to the figures had been damaged in the damp soils leading to flaking off of the original pigments as the figures dried out.

A museum archaeologist said the museum has been cooperating with a cultural relics department in Germany for years trying to find a satisfactory technology to preserve the original colours of the terracotta warriors, and has "made some headway." It is hoped that freshly unearthed figures can be promptly treated to prevent such depletion and this will help to yield up important information about how the warriors, infantrymen, archers, cavalrymen, officers, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians of this chinese clay army of 8,000 plus figures were originally presented. Investigations already undertaken suggest that no two figures were painted in the same colours and that the colour purple was reserved for persons of officer rank. According to Ralph Waldo Emerson - "...man is a bundle of relations, a knot of roots, whose flower and fruitage is the world..." Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army - National Geographic Platoons of clay soldiers were buried with China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, to accompany him during his eternal rest. Photograph by O.

Louis Mazzatenta By John Roach Workers digging a well outside the city of Xi'an, China, in 1974 struck upon one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world: a life-size clay soldier poised for battle. he diggers notified Chinese authorities, who dispatched government archaeologists to the site. They found not one, but thousands of clay soldiers, each with unique facial expressions and positioned according to rank. And though largely gray today, patches of paint hint at once brightly colored clothes. Further excavations have revealed swords, arrow tips, and other weapons, many in pristine condition. The soldiers are in trenchlike, underground corridors. In some of the corridors, clay horses are aligned four abreast; behind them are wooden chariots. The terra-cotta army, as it is known, is part of an elaborate mausoleum created to accompany the first emperor of China into the afterlife, according to archaeologists. Young Emperor Ying Zheng took the throne in 246 B.C. at the age of 13. By 221 B.C. he had unified a collection of warring kingdoms and took the name of Qin Shi Huang Di—the First Emperor of Qin.

During his rule, Qin standardized coins, weights, and measures; interlinked the states with canals and roads; and is credited for building the first version of the Great Wall. According to writings of court historian Siam Qian during the following Han dynasty, Qin ordered the mausoleum's construction shortly after taking the throne. More than 700,000 laborers worked on the project, which was halted in 209 B.C. amid uprisings a year after Qin's death. To date, four pits have been partially excavated. Three are filled with the terra-cotta soldiers, horse-drawn chariots, and weapons. The fourth pit is empty, a testament to the original unfinished construction. Archaeologists estimate the pits may contain as many as 8,000 figures, but the total may never be known. Unexcavated Tomb Qin's tomb itself remains unexcavated, though Siam Qian's writings suggest even greater treasures. "The tomb was filled with models of palaces, pavilions and offices as well as fine vessels, precious stones and rarities," reads a translation of the text.

The account indicates the tomb contains replicas of the area's rivers and streams made with mercury flowing to the sea through hills and mountains of bronze. Precious stones such as pearls are said to represent the sun, moon, and other stars. Modern tests on the tomb mound have revealed unusually high concentrations of mercury, lending credence to at least some of the historical account. Chinese archaeologists are also using remote-sensing technology to probe the tomb mound. The technique recently revealed an underground chamber with four stairlike walls. An archaeologist working on the site told the Chinese press that the chamber may have been built for the soul of the emperor. Experimental pits dug around the tomb have revealed dancers, musicians, and acrobats full of life and caught in mid-performance, a sharp contrast to the military poses of the famous terra-cotta soldiers. But further excavations of the tomb itself are on hold, at least for now. "It is best to keep the ancient tomb untouched, because of the complex conditions inside," Duan Qinbao, a researcher with the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeology Institute, told the China Daily in 2006.

Terracotta Army, Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses - Crystalinks Qin Shi Huang First Emperor of China The Terracotta Army serve as a garrison to his Musoleum. Ears of Ancient Chinese Terra-Cotta Warriors Offer Clues to Their Creation National Geographic - November 18, 2014 New clues about Terra-Cotta Warriors -- In 246 B.C. the adolescent ruler commissioned a massive tomb furnished with everything he'd need for the next life, including an entire army of life-size terra-cotta warriors, from mighty generals to humble infantrymen. Arranged in battle formation in pits near the emperor's tomb, the clay army stood watch for more than 2,000 years. Then, in 1974, local farmers rediscovered the site while digging a well. Since then, archaeologists have puzzled over how ancient artisans produced the estimated 7,000 lifelike clay soldiers, right down to their stylish goatees and plaits of braided hair. Some have suggested that the statues were modeled after real, individual soldiers; others think they were assembled from standard clay ears, noses, and mouths, similar to the Mr. Potato Head toy.

The Terracotta Army (literally "soldier and horse funerary statues") are the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BCE, were discovered in 1974 by several local farmers near Xi'an, Shanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height (183-195 cm - 6ft-6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. The Terracotta Army was discovered in eastern outer suburbs of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province by local farmers drilling a water well 1.5 miles east of Lishan (a mountain).

This discovery prompted archaeologists to proceed to Shaanxi Province, China to investigate. The Terracotta Army is a form of funerary art buried with the First Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang, Shi Huang means the first emperor) in 210-209 BCE (he declared himself the first emperor of China in 221 BCE to the end of his life in 210 BCE). Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huang Di in the afterlife. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Armies." Mount Lishan is also where the material to make the terracotta warriors originated. In addition to the warriors, an entire man-made necropolis for the emperor has been excavated. According to the historian Sima Qian (145-90 BCE) construction of this mausoleum began in 246 BCE and involved 700,000 workers. Qin Shi Huang was thirteen when construction began.

Sima Qian, in his most famous history of China, Shiji, completed a century after the mausoleum completion, wrote that the First Emperor was buried with palaces, scenic towers, officials, valuable utensils and 'wonderful objects,' with 100 rivers fashioned in mercury and above this heavenly bodies below which he wrote were 'the features of the earth.' Some translations of this passage refer to 'models' or 'imitations' but in fact he does not use those words. Recent scientific work at the site has shown high levels of mercury in the soil of Mount Lishan, appearing to add credence to the writing of ancient historian Sima Qian. The tomb of Shi Huang Di is near an earthen pyramid 76 meters tall and nearly 350 square meters. The tomb remains unopened, in the hope that it will remain intact. Only a portion of the site is presently excavated. Qin Shi Huang's necropolis complex was constructed to serve as an imperial compound or palace. It comprises several offices, halls and other structures and is surrounded by a wall with gateway entrances.

The remains of the craftsmen working in the tomb have also been found within its confines, and it is believed they were sealed inside alive to prevent them from divulging information about the tombs. It was also said as a legend that the Terracotta Warriors were real soldiers, buried with Emperor Qin so that they can guard him in the next life. Construction The terracotta figures were manufactured both in workshops by government laborers and also by local craftsmen. The head, arms, legs and torsos were created separately and then assembled. Studies show that eight face moulds were most likely used, and then clay was added to provide individual facial features. Once assembled, intricate features such as facial expressions were added. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it an assembly line production, with specific parts manufactured and assembled after being fired, as opposed to crafting one solid piece of terracotta and subsequently firing it. In those days, each workshop was required to inscribe its name on items produced to ensure quality control. This has aided modern historians in verifying that workshops that once made tiles and other mundane items were commandeered to work on the terracotta army.

Upon completion, the terracotta figures were placed in the pits in precise military formation according to rank and duty. The terracotta figures are life-like and life-sized. They vary in height, uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. The colored lacquer finish, individual facial features, and actual weapons and armor from battle were used in manufacturing these figures created a realistic appearance. The original weapons were stolen shortly after the creation of the army and the coloring has faded greatly. However, their existence serves as a testament to the amount of labour and skill involved in their construction. It also reveals the power the First Emperor possessed, enabling him to command such a monumental undertaking as this. The Pits The four pits associated with the dig are about 1.5 km east of the burial ground and are about 7 meters deep. The outside walls of the tomb complex are as if placed there to protect the tomb from the east, where all the conquered states lay. They are solidly built with rammed earth walls and ground layers as hard as concrete. Pit one, 230 meters long, contains the main army, estimated at 8,000 figures.

Pit One has 11 corridors, most of which are over 3 meters wide, and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of noblemen and would have resembled palace hallways. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil making them, when built about 2 to 3 meters higher than ground level. Pit two has cavalry and infantry units as well as war chariots, and is thought to represent a military guard. Pit three is the command post, with high ranking officers and a war chariot. Pit four is empty, seemingly left unfinished by its builders. Destruction and Gradual Decay There is evidence of a large fire that burned the wooden structures that once housed the Terracotta Army. It was described by Sima Qian, who said that the fire was a consequence of a raid on the tomb by General Xiang Yu less than five years after the death of the First Emperor.

According to Sima Qian, General Xiang's army looted the tomb and the structures holding the Terracotta Army, as well as setting fire to the necropolis and starting a blaze that allegedly lasted three months. Because of this, only one statue has survived intact: a statue of a kneeling archer. Despite the fire, however, much of the remains of the Terracotta Army still survives in various stages of preservation, surrounded by remnants of the burnt wooden structures. In 1999, it was reported that the warriors were suffering from "nine different kinds of mold," caused by raised temperatures and humidity in the building which houses the soldiers, and by the breath of tourists. In addition, the South China Morning Post reported that the figures have become oxidized grey from being exposed to the air, which may cause arms to fall off, and noses and hairstyles to disappear. However, officials have dismissed these claims. In Daily Planet Goes to China TV Series, the Terracotta Warriors segment reported that the Chinese scientists found soot on the surface of the statues, concluding that the pollution introduced from coal burning plants was responsible for the decaying of the terracotta statues.

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake caused some slight damages to several soldiers. One soldier in Pit #2 tilted to the right at 5 degrees. Several small cracks appeared on two soldiers and one horse statue in Pit #3. But overall the damage was minimal. Recently, officials have begun to bury sections of the pits, to preserve the figures. A Terracotta Army of Girls Inspired by China's Bias Toward Boys Wired - January 29, 2014 China excels at large-scale endeavors, and art is no different. New York artist Prune Nourry was uniquely able to produce her installation Terracotta Daughters, a 116-statue update to the famed Terracotta Army, by enlisting the help of Chinese master craftsman Wen Xianfeng and traveling to Xi'an several times over the course of a year. Coming from New York the first thing that blows you away is the amount of space artists have to work with here ... some of their studios could have been museums in New York, says Zachary Bako, whose beautiful photographs document the artwork's creation.

Not only was the amount of space available crucial to the project's completion, but Nourry was able to use a working Terracotta Army replica factory to produce these larger pieces. New Terra-Cotta Warriors - And Unprecedented Armor National Geographic - June 21, 2012 With the greatest of care, archaeologists in early June clean the head of a terra-cotta warrior in the funerary complex of China's first emperor - one of more than a hundred life-size figures uncovered during the latest phase of the excavation, which began in 2009. Archaeologists have also recently found terra-cotta horses, chariots, weaponry, and drums as well as the clay army's first known shield - proof of the equipment real-life soldiers would have carried. Excavations have been carried out here since the site, near the city of Xi'an, was discovered in 1974. The artifacts belonged to a vast man-made army meant to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di, the third-century-B.C. leader whose dynasty, Qin (pronounced CHIN), likely gave the country its modern name. When the emperor was buried more than 2,000 years ago, the warriors were brightly painted.

Archaeologists are surprised that so much of the color has survived on the figures they've just uncovered. China's terracotta army has new recruits as 1,400 more are found | Daily Mail Online show ad China's terracotta army has new recruits: 1,400 more clay warriors, horses and chariots found buried near emperor's tomb Archaeologists are beginning a new excavation to look for clay warriors in pit number two close to the tomb of China's first emperor Qin Shihaung They believe there could be 1,400 statues and 89 war chariots buried there They are using digital scanning techniques to aid the painstaking work Terracotta Army Discovered in China Terracotta Army Discovered in China Terracotta Army Discovered in China terracotta buried soldiers in main enclosure. Grant Faint/ The Image Bank/ Getty Images By Jennifer Rosenberg Updated November 30, 2015. In 1974, a life-sized, terracotta army was discovered near Lintong, Xian, Shaanxi, China .

Buried in underground pits, the 8,000 terracotta soldiers and horses were part of the necropolis of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi , to aid him in the afterlife. While work continues on escavating and preserving the terracotta army, it remains one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. The Discovery On March 29, 1974, three farmers were drilling holes in the hopes of finding water to dig wells when they came upon some ancient terracotta pottery shards. It didn't take long for news of this discovery to spread and by July a Chinese archaeological team began excavating the site. What these farmers had discovered was the 2200-year-old remains of a life-sized, terracotta army that had been buried with Qin Shihuangdi, the man who had united the varied provinces of China and thus the very first emperor of China (221-210 BCE). Qin Shihuangdi has been remembered throughout history as a harsh ruler, but he is also well known for his many accomplishments.

continue reading below our video Profile of Qin Shi Huang It was Qin Shihuangdi who standardized the weights and measures within his vast lands, created a uniform script, and created the first version of the Great Wall of China . Building the Terracotta Army Even before Qin Shihuangdi unified China, he began building his own mausoleum nearly as soon as he came to power in 246 BCE at age 13. It is believed that it took 700,000 workers to build what became Qin Shihuangdi's necropolis and that when it was finished, he had many of the workers -- if not all 700,000 -- buried alive within it to keep its intricacies a secret. The terracotta army was found just outside of his tomb complex, near modern-day Xi'an. (The mound that contains Qin Shihuangdi's tomb remains unexcavated,) After Qin Shihuangdi's death, there was a power struggle, ultimately leading to a civil war. It was perhaps at this time that some of the terracotta figures were knocked over, broken, and set on fire. Also, many of the weapons held by the terracotta soldiers were stolen.

Details of the Terracotta Army What remains of the terracotta army are three, trench-like pits of soldiers, horses, and chariots. (A fourth pit has been found empty, probably remaining unfinished when Qin Shihuangdi died unexpectedly at age 49 in 210 BCE.) In these pits stand approximately 8,000 soldiers, positioned according to rank, stand in battle formations facing east. Each one is life-sized and unique. Although the main structure of the body was created in an assembly-line fashion, added details in the faces and hairstyles as well as clothing and arm positioning make no two terracotta soldiers alike. When originally placed, each soldier carried a weapon. While many of the bronze weapons remain, many others appear to have been stolen in antiquity. While pictures often show the terracotta soldiers in an earthy color, each soldier had once been intricately painted. A few remnant paint chips remain; however, much of it crumbles when the soldiers are unearthed by archaeologists. In addition to the terracotta soldiers, there are full-sized, terracotta horses and several war chariots.

Archaeologists continue to excavate and learn about the terracotta soldiers and Qin Shihuangdi's necropolis. In 1979, the large Museum of Terracotta Army was opened to allow tourists to see these amazing artifacts in person. In 1987, UNESCO designated the terracotta army a world heritage site. Exploring Chinese History :: Culture :: Archaeology :: Qin Mausoleum and Terra Cotta Army Qin Mausoleum and Terra Cotta Army The Terracotta Army (Chinese: 兵馬俑; Pinyin: Bīng Mǎ Yǒng; literally "Soldier and Horse Figures") is a collection of 8,099 life-size terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (秦始皇陵; Qín Shǐ Huáng Líng). The figures were discovered in 1974 near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China. Contents Replica statues are readied for firing at 1000°C in a museum factory kiln. About 10% of these firings fail. The exact method of original creation remains largely a mystery.

The terra cotta figures were buried with the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang) in 210-209 BCE. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Army." All 8,099 soldiers are unique and distinguishable with different height and facial features. The soldiers are modeled after selected soldiers from the time period who were considered to be the finest of China. The figures are in several poses including standing infantry and kneeling archers as well as charioteers with horses. Each figure's head appears to be unique showing a variety of facial features and expressions as well as hair styles. There are three separate pits, which represent three different sections of the army. The largest pit, and most famous, holds the infantry. The second pit contains the cavalry, and the third contains the officers. A fourth pit, which was planned but never built, is thought to be the supply unit. Qin Shi Huang had the figures created and buried with him in the belief that they would protect him after his death. The figures were buried in battle formation in many vaults, 1.5 kilometers east of Qin Shi Huang's tomb, which is 33km east of Xi'an.

The army was built facing enemy territory, and in between these enemies and the Emperor's tomb. Destruction Terra Cotta figure still partially embedded in the earth surrounded by other pieces. It is believed that the statues were destroyed only some 50 years after their original creation, due to a fire set during a peasant uprising. The original design included a wooden roof covering the rows of soldiers, and the statues were crushed when this burning roof collapsed in on them. The fire also destroyed the paint which gave the statues a more realistic look. However, the separate pit which contains the "officers" of the army escaped fire, and some paint remnants can still be seen on these figures. Excavation and Re-construction Excavation progress of Pit 2. The statues were discovered in March 1974 during the sinking of wells for farmland irrigation construction by three local farmers, one of whom is still alive today and working at the tourist center. Professional excavation of the vaults started soon after their discovery. At the time, all of the soldiers were badly broken. A group of archaeologists are still in the process of piecing the soldiers back into their original form. It is estimated that it will be approximately 50 years before they finish the project.

All the archeologists involved are native Chinese, since offers of foreign aid in the project have been refused. Rows of figures awaiting reconstruction. The process is a giant jigsaw puzzle whose pieces may yet be removed from the earth. Three or more vaults, measuring about 4-8 meters deep, have been excavated and a museum set up on the ruins, called Xi'an First Qin Emperor's Terracotta Army Museum (西安秦始皇兵馬俑博物館). Vault One was opened to the public in 1979, and the whole museum was completed in 1994. Currently, several vaults are open for viewing. Other vaults have been discovered but have yet to be excavated. In 1987, UNESCO added the Terracotta Army and the Tomb of the First Qin Emperor to the list of the World Heritage Sites. Imperial Tomb Diagram of the Tomb site, with the Terra Cotta Army pits in detail. The tomb of Qin Shi Huang (located at 34°23'N 109°15'E) is near an earthen pyramid 76 meters tall and nearly 350 meters square. The tomb presently remains unopened.

There are plans to seal-off the area around the tomb with a special tent-type structure to prevent corrosion from exposure to outside air. However, there is only one company in the world that makes these tents, and their largest model will not cover the site as needed. It is thought that the tomb will contain many rooms, valuable treasures, and also the remains of the "interior designers" of the tomb, who were supposedly sealed alive inside the tomb to prevent them from telling anyone of the contents of the tomb or the location of its entrance. Also buried with Qin Shi Huang were all the women from his court who had not borne any children. Some historians believe that they were buried alive. Magnetic scans of the land above the tomb have confirmed the legend of a great map of China, with rivers of flowing quicksilver. The scans have even shown concentrations of quicksilver where great bodies of water would be on such a map. Bronze Chariots Bronze chariot and horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, excavated in Xi'an. In 1980 two painted bronze chariots were discovered 20 meters west of Qin Shi Huang's tomb.

Consisting of 3000 parts, each of the chariots is driven by an imperial charioteer and drawn by 4 horses. According to the Han Dynasty scholar Cai Yong (蔡邕 132-192), the first chariot was for clearing the road for the Emperor's entourage, and the second was his sleeping chariot. The bridles and saddles of the horses are inlaid with gold and silver designs and the body of the number 2 chariot has its sliding windows hollow cut. Both are half life size and are now displayed in the Museum. Model Displays in the United States Forbidden Gardens, a privately-funded outdoor museum in Katy, Texas has 6,000 1/3 scale replica terra-cotta soldiers displayed in formation as they were buried in the 3rd century BCE. Several full-size replicas are included for scale, and replicas of weapons discovered with the army are shown in a separate Weapons Room. The museum's sponsor is a Chinese businessman whose goal is to share his country's history.

Archaeologists unveil 120 new figures discovered during third excavation of the site | Daily Mail Online comments Excavations in China have unearthed a stunning new collection of 2,000-year-old terracotta warriors and hundreds of other artefacts. Archaeologists unveiled 120 new terracotta warriors yesterday at the Qin Shihuang Unesco World Heritage site in Shaanxi province. The current excavation, which started in 2009, is the third at the site following two previous digs which were carried out in 1974 and 1985.

Scroll down for video Painstaking: Archaeologists at work in the extended excavation of the Pit One of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Xian, China where they are measuring and recording the dimensions of the latest terracotta warrior find Detail: The terracotta warriors are being carefully uncovered using delicate equipment to help preserve the detailed work in their original production more than 2,000 years ago Slow process: The current excavation, which started in 2009, is the third at the Chinese site following two previous digs which were carried out in 1974 and 1985 The artefacts in western China were buried with the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty in the 3rd century BC. The latest discoveries include never-before-seen items, including war drums and a dramatic painted shield. In total, more than 310 small pieces have been newly excavated as well as 12 clay horses. The third excavation covers about 200 square metres in pit number one - the largest and the most visited of the Terracotta Warriors And Horses Museum.

RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Some of the other unusual finds in the latest dig include a tool box for chariots, a crossbow, painted drum and items dyed a unique Chinese purple colouring. The dig is expected to be finished within three years. Once uncovered, the statues are taken to a dedicated museum to have their colours restored, before joining their fellows soldiers in the world famous exhibition. Future: The dig at the pit is expected to carry on for another three years during which time the latest terracotta warriors will be painstakingly revealed and eventually put on public display Beautiful: Each of the amazing life-sized terracotta warriors uncovered in China has its own hairstyle and facial features and clothing The third excavation covers about 200 square metres in pit number one - the largest and the most visited of the Terracotta Warriors And Horses Museum More than 1,000 of the life-size statues, each with unique facial expressions and hair styles, have already been discovered at the site. They were originally put in place to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The fierce figures are among the best-known images of China.

Reproductions in sizes ranging from miniature to full size are sold in gift shops around the country and an exhibition of 20 figures and dozens of artefacts from the tomb broke ticket sale records when it travelled in 2008 to London, California, Houston and Washington. Cao Wei, director of the mausoleum museum site, said preserving the figures would be far more challenging than the relatively simple task of excavating them. One archaeologist said the museum has been co-operating with a cultural relic department at a university in Germany for years trying to find a satisfactory technology to preserve the colour of the terracotta, and has 'made some headway'. MOULD AND COAL DUST... ENEMIES OF THE 6FT TERRACOTTA WARRIORS The warriors guarded the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China In all, the tomb's three pits are thought to hold 8,000 life-sized figures of archers, infantry soldiers, horse-drawn chariots, officers and acrobats, plus 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. It is believed they were created to protect the emperor in the afterlife.

The statues stand between 6ft and 6ft 5in tall and weigh about 400lb. They are intricately detailed and no two figures are alike – craftsmen are believed to have modelled them after a real army. The tomb was looted less than five years after Emperor Qin Shihuang's death by a rival army. They set a fire that destroyed the wooden structures housing the warriors, damaging most of them. Since their discovery, the figures have suffered perils ranging from mould due to humidity to decay from exposure and coal dust from local industry. A fourth pit at the tomb was apparently left empty by its builders, while Qin's actual burial chamber at the centre of the complex has yet to be excavated. Qin, who died in 210BC at the age of 50, created China's first unitary state by conquering rival kingdoms. A figure of fear and awe in Chinese history, he built an extensive system of roads and canals along with an early incarnation of the Great Wall of China. He also unified measurements and established a single written language, currency and legal statutes.

Terracotta Warriors: An Army for the Afterlife Terracotta Warriors: An Army for the Afterlife By Owen Jarus, LiveScience Contributor | November 28, 2016 07:30pm ET MORE Credit: meanmachine77 / Shutterstock.com Chinese workers digging a well in 1974 made a startling discovery: thousands of life-size terracotta figures of an army prepared for battle. Now called the Terracotta Army or Terracotta Warriors, the figures are located in three pits near the city of Xi'an in China's Shaanxi province. After the warriors were discovered, the site became a museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The pits are situated less than one mile to the northeast of a pyramid-shaped mausoleum constructed for the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (259 B.C. – 210 B.C.). According to UNESCO World Heritage Center , archaeologists suspect that the unexcavated tomb could contain an entire replica of the city of Xi'an, which the warriors guard.

The three pits (a fourth pit was unfinished) contain an estimated 8,000 life-size terracotta figures of which about 2,000 have been excavated. The figures were created to serve the emperor in the afterlife and include a mix of chariots, cavalry, armored soldiers and archers. There are high-ranking officers (including nine generals found so far) and one of the pits, No. 3, actually served as a command post for the army and contains an honor guard and ornate chariot for the force's chief commander. All three pits are active archaeological sites and visitors can see excavations taking place. [ Gallery: Ancient Chinese Warriors Protect Secret Tomb ] The details of the warriors are so intricate and individualized that it has been hypothesized that they were based on real soldiers who served in the emperor's army. Each warrior has uniquely styled hair and features; some have topknots while others have goatees; some have caps and loose tunics while others have armored vests and braided hair. They have different builds, expressions and postures. Another key feature is that the warriors were decorated in bright colors, which contributed to the individuation.

New conservation techniques, performed on recently excavated figures, allow some of these patterns to be discerned. Every warrior contains a stamp of the name of the foreman in charge of his creation, so that mistakes could be tracked, according to the Field Museum . Curiously, when the emperor created this army he had it face east, not toward the frontiers of his empire but rather toward the territories he had already taken. Why he did this is a mystery, it could be because of the topography around his mausoleum or it could because he felt the real threat came from the lands he had conquered. An army of clay warriors guards the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who died in 210 BC. The tomb is still under excavation near Xi'an, China. Credit: Clara Moskowitz/LiveScience The first emperor His birth name was Ying Zheng and he was born at a time when China was divided into a number of warring states. One of these states, named Qin, was located in the western portion of ancient China and had been expanding for some time. An army of clay warriors guards the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang , who died in 210 BC.

The tomb is still under excavation near Xi'an, China. When Zheng's father, King Zhuangxiang, died in 246 B.C., Zheng took the throne at the age of 13. Over the next three decades he initiated a series of military campaigns that would see Qin conquer the other states and unify China for the first time. After the unification was complete in 221 B.C., Zheng took on the title of Qin Shi Huang which means, in essence, the "First Emperor of Qin." After his death in 210 B.C., his dynasty quickly collapsed with a new group of rulers known as the "Han Dynasty" coming to power. According to the Field Museum, Qin Shi Huang spent a significant portion of his rule preparing for the afterlife, and even began construction of his mausoleum before he was coronated. It is estimated that the terracotta warriors themselves took more than 10 years to complete. In this ensuing period, the emperor's terracotta army may not have been looked upon kindly.

Archaeologist Yuan Zhongyi writes in his book "China's Terracotta Army and the First Emperor's Mausoleum" (Homa and Sekey, 2011) that pit two was "partially burnt down," possibly by a rebel army that arose shortly after the first emperor's death. Another researcher, Chen Shen, curator of a massive Terracotta Warriors show that appeared recently in New York, notes that historical records are silent about the warriors. Sima Qian, a Han Dynasty historian who lived about a century after the first emperor's time, doesn't talk about the warriors despite covering 3,000 years of Chinese history in his "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian). That could be because he didn't want to highlight the first emperor's achievement. "Because the historian served an emperor whose ancestors overthrew the First Emperor's brief dynasty, he had to be conscious of presenting the past in a way that would not distress his ruler with unflattering comparisons," Shen writes in his exhibition book "The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army" (Royal Ontario Museum Press, 2010).

Indeed while terracotta figures were made by later Chinese rulers, none of them attempted to produce a large army of life-sized figures ever again. Pit One: Infantry and chariots Pit One, the largest pit, is rectangular and covers 14,000 square meters (150,000 square feet) of space, the size of almost three football fields. "The floor of the passage ways and the surrounding corridors is paved with grey bricks. The roof is supported by thick and sturdy wood blocks, one closely next to another, on which is covered with mats, and upon that loess [a sediment]," writes Zhongyi in his book. The portions excavated so far are filled with warriors. A map that University of London researcher Lucas Nickel published in his book "First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" (British Museum Press, 2007) illustrates their formation. At the front of Pit One is a vanguard of un-armored standing archers, three rows deep, which Zhongyi writes were mainly equipped with bow and arrows.

Behind them, separated by earthen mounds, are 11 straight lines of figures, many of them armored warriors who would have been equipped with melee weapons such as the halberd. Interspersed with these armored warriors are war chariots that were made of wood (now decayed) with four terracotta horses each. Each of these chariots has a driver (wearing extra-long armor for protection) along with two warriors armed with either melee weapons or bows. Zhongyi writes that this arrangement of a fast-moving vanguard, equipped with long-range weapons, which in turn is followed by a heavier force, is not an accident. He points out that the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote in his book the "Art of War" that the "the tip (vanguard) must be hard-hitting while the body must be overwhelming," a lesson the first emperor appears to have applied in the afterlife. Emperor Qin Shi Huang was buried with everything he needed for the afterlife, including an army complete with life-size clay horses.

Credit: Clara Moskowitz/LiveScience Pit Two: The cavalry Pit Two is located just to the north of Pit One and is about half its size and roughly square (with a bulging area in the northeast where the force's vanguard is located). Emperor Qin Shi Huang was buried with everything he needed for the afterlife, including an army complete with life-size clay horses. Like Pit One, its vanguard is made up largely of archers, in this case mainly carrying crossbows (again the wooden part is decayed). The figures in the front rows are un-armored and standing up, while the ones behind are kneeling. Again this is no accident, as Zhongyi points out that it takes time for an archer to load a new bolt for his crossbow. By having one line firing, and another kneeling to reload, a steady stream of fire could be kept up on the enemy. The main force of Pit Two, the part meant to overwhelm the enemy, includes about 80 war chariots. Each has two riders and a charioteer and there are also some armored troops, equipped with melee weapons, intermixed. Newly introduced in Pit Two is a squadron of cavalry.

Located in the northwest of the pit, the saddled horses are male, life-size and each carries a rider. Zhongyi notes the armor of the riders stops short of the waist, that way "the lap won't touch the horse when the rider is seated." The riders would have been equipped with both bows and melee weapons. At the front of the horse squadron are six "assistant chariots," as Zhongyi calls them. They have a charioteer with only one warrior, the empty space reserved for an officer. Thousands of terracotta warriors guard the tomb of the first emperor of China. Pit Three: Command post By far the smallest of the pits is Pit Three, used as a command post. It has an honor guard consisting of armored warriors holding long poles. At center is a grand command chariot manned by four warriors (including a charioteer). The "beautifully painted vehicle body was crowned by a round ornamented canopy indicating that this chariot had a special function," Lucas Nickel writes. "It may have been designed to carry the commander of the army." The army commander is not included among the terracotta figures and researchers do not know his identity.

One possibility is that the commander is no less than the emperor himself, who still lies buried in his tomb . Non-military terracotta figures Non-military terracotta figures have been discovered in other pits. Like the army, they were meant for the afterlife and include terracotta civil servants, equipped with knives and bamboo tablets for writing, and even a group of terracotta acrobats meant for entertainment. "According to the way they [the acrobats] perform we speculate they are not indigenous to central China, but probably come from the south — probably the Burma area," said archaeologist Duan Qingbo, who was in charge of excavations at the Terracotta Army pits, in translated comments that appeared in "The Independent" (UK). For the first emperor's afterlife, nothing was spared. He had a large army in proper military formation and even entertainment brought in from afar. How were the warriors made? For decades, archaeologists have pondered the techniques ancient artisans used to make thousands of individualized warriors in a relatively short period of time.

According to National Geographic , some have suspected that a single artisan produced each warrior; others hold that the individualized faces were achieved by attaching a unique mix of pre-determined ears, noses, mouths, etc. to the heads, a la Mr. Potato Head. One recent theory suggests that they were inspired by Greek sculpture techniques they learned from travelers on the Silk Road, according to New Historian . Still others hypothesize that the warriors were created on an assembly line of convicts and conscripts. In this model, according to the Field Museum, workers used molds for the body parts and heads, adding individual flourishes before sending the sculpture into the kiln. At least 10 different head molds have been identified. In 2014, a group of researchers at University College London analyzed 30 ears from the warriors to determine how different they were from each other. They theorized that if the warriors were supposed to portray real people, they should have distinct ears (forensic scientists can use ear-shapes to identify people, similarly to fingerprints). According to Smithsonian Magazine , no two ears analyzed were alike, though thousands more need to be assessed before archaeologists draw any specific conclusions.

But it supports the theory that the warriors were based on a real army. Mausoleum The warriors are even more impressive when you consider that they are just one small part of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum . Scientists have used remote sensing, core sampling and radar to discover that the tomb complex is almost 38 square miles (98 square kilometers). They suspect it contains a replica of the city of Xi'an, as well as its rivers and streams. In addition to clay inhabitants — warriors, acrobats, etc. — thousands of real people were also buried with their emperor. Many were craftsman and convicts who died building the mausoleum. Hundreds of concubines were also buried there, possibly to accompany their emperor to the afterlife, or possibly as part of an elaborate court intrigue, according to National Geographic . Sima Qian's writings describe the contents of the tomb complex: "The tomb was filled with models of palaces, pavilions and offices as well as fine vessels, precious stones and rarities." Rivers and streams were made of mercury, hills and mountains of bronze, and precious stones represented the sun, moon, and stars.

According to National Geographic, tests on the dirt at the tomb reveal high levels of mercury, supporting Sima Qian's description. But we may never know for sure what lies beneath the tomb. Sima Qian warned that it was booby trapped, and modern archaeologists are kept away by the risk of damaging the site. Some artifacts could disintegrate rapidly if the tombs were opened. Additional reporting by Live Science Contributor Jessie Szalay, who toured the site in 2016. Additional resources Chinese Tombs page1 [ Back to top ] There were many rulers and nobles who were honored with a tomb built in their name; however, there are only a handful of extraordinary tombs that are visited today by millions of visitors each year. These particular tombs stand out for many reasons: some are vastly large, and others are filled with exceptional tomb goods. Of the most recently excavated tombs, the Qin Shihuangdi tomb, the Han tombs and the Quanling tomb from the Tang dynasty are the most notable. In March of 1974, near the city of Xi'an, farmers were digging a water well and came across a fragment of a warrior figure.

After further investigation by archeologists, the warrior figure was found to be part of the terracotta army of Qin Shihuangdi, who ruled the Qin dynasty from 246 BCE to 210 BCE. At the time of Qin's death, human sacrifice was less common. Rather than ordering his entire army to death, he was buried with an astonishing 6,000 symbolic life-sized terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots assembled to protect him in the next world. The emperor's terracotta army was found in three underground wooden vaults. The first vault contained chariots and the 6,000 soldiers. Vault 2 contained 1,400 figures of cavalrymen, infantry, horses, and 90 wooden chariots. The third vault contained 70 various additional figures. During the Qin dynasty rivals from the upcoming Han dynasty looted the three vaults and vandalized many of the figures. Today, archeologists continue to excavate the site, and have built a museum over the tomb itself. page2 [ Back to top ] In an age of conspicuous consumption, the Han dynasty tombs became grounds of status symbols and visible expressions of virtue and wealth.

Unlike the first emperor, Qin, the figurines from this dynasty came in miniature proportions. The joint tomb of the emperor Jingdi and his wife empress Wang displayed 24 vaults filled with over 40,000 clay soldier figurines; each one-third life size, with movable arms, and fully clothed. In addition to the soldiers there were clay figurines of animals, agricultural machinery, carts, tools, weights, and measures. Han tomb materials were not only terracotta, but also bronze, iron, and wood. Corpses, such as that of emperor Liu Sheng and his wife the princess Dou Wan, have been found in spectacular jade suits made of thousands of small plaques sewn together with gold thread. The Chinese believed that jade would protect the corpses from decay; it was a symbol of life and vitality. Liu Sheng's tomb in Mancheng, Hebei was built like an actual house with horses, stables, windows, storerooms with cookbooks and even a bathroom! Most of the 2,800 goods found in this tomb are unique and include the jade suits and other jade products, the famous Changxin Palace lantern and a gold-inlaid furnace.

-visit english.sohu.com to see a photo of the Changxin lantern. page3 [ Back to top ] Tombs found in the town of Mawangdi, Changsha and Hebei contain well-crafted silks. The mummified bodies, such as Lady Dai, were wrapped in 20 garments, bound with silk ribbons and covered in silk banners depicting her journey to the land of them immortals. The tombs also included many bronzes of the Ferghana horses - prizes for their long legs, which slowly replaced the short-legged horses during the Han dynasty. Unlike tombs from other dynasties, Han tombs were made mainly of bricks and stone, and placed deep into the earth for a greater preservation. The attention to preservation allowed archeologists to find a number of Han tombs intact. To date, more than 40 Han mausoleums have been excavated. -visit (National Palace Museum in Taiwan) for additional pictures of these tomb goods. page4 [ Back to top ] The Quanling tomb of the Tang Dynasty was a joint tomb of emperor Tang Gaozong and empress Wu Zetain - the only empress in Chinese history.

Quanling is a town about 80 miles west of Xi'an. The tomb was a rectangular layout of the city of Chang'an, with four gates on each side. The tomb's circumference is 40 kilometers and hosts 17 satellite tombs of princes, kings, and high ministers, such as the tomb of Crown Prince Zhuanghuai, the tomb of Crown Yide and the tomb of Princess Yongtai. There are hills upon hills of animals and human statues leading the way to these tombs. Among the amazing tomb goods are two winged horses, two vermilion (ostrich-like) birds, the Tablet of Seven Elements (sun, moon, metal, wood, water, earth and fire), and 61 stone king figures from foreign countries who attended Tang Gaozong's funeral - all original to this dynasty. Other tomb goods included tri-color glazed pottery figures, poetry, porcelain ware, murals, and relics. A variety of materials were used to make these artifacts, among them bronze, gold, wood, jade, copper, iron, and a variety of earthly materials.

Question: In 1974 many ranks of life-size models were discovered buried in China; they are known as...?
Answer: The Terracotta Army