Imagine digging a well, but chancing upon pottery fragments, which in turn leads to the discovery of an entire army guarding an Emperor’s tomb!On March 29, 1974, farmer Yang Zhifa, his five brothers, and neighbor Wang Puzhi were in for a pretty big surprise. While digging a well in the Shaanxi province in China, they came across some fragments of a clay figure.Little did they know that these fragments would lead to the discovery of the first of many terracotta soldiers of the famous Terracotta Army. Right until then, the existence of such a massive tomb was unknown, as history had no records of them. This spectacular discovery of the underground army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang took the entire world by surprise. Read on to know some intriguing China Terracotta Warriors facts.Who are the Chinese Terracotta Warriors?The Chinese Terracotta Warriors are the silent army guarding the First Emperor in his afterlife.These warriors are part of the monumental Emperor’s tomb of China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang.Having led his army as a great leader on the battlefield, the Emperor’s desire was to build an army to fight his enemies in the afterlife too.Being theist, he believed in Gods and ghosts. In pursuit of afterlife power and protection, the Emperor employed massive resources to build the largest single tomb of incomparable measure.The life-size terracotta figures of warriors, arranged in battle formations, are meant to be replicas of how the royal guard looked like, back in the times of the Qin dynasty.History Of The Chinese Terracotta WarriorsThe history of the Chinese Terracotta Warriors is as engrossing as the sight of these warriors itself.Born in 260 BC as Ying Zheng in the time of a war-ridden China, he took on the title of Qin Shi Huang, meaning the first Emperor of Qin, after a three-decade-long military activity. This led to conquering several states, including the Qin state.At the age of 13, he took up the Emperor’s position. After the Emperor’s death in 210 BC, he was buried underground.The Qin dynasty was considered as world’s most powerful state with a 20 million population and an annual revenue worth 4,410 lb (2,000 kg) of silver.After having spent much of his life in search of immortality, he realized soon enough that a human being could never be immortal in the physical form. It was then that the Emperor decided to build himself a tomb complex.The construction of the Terracotta Army began in 246 BC upon orders from the Emperor after he had assumed the throne. This was intended to be Emperor Qin’s afterlife army with which he would have endless power.More than 700,000 laborers were forced to work on the construction of Emperor Qin’s tomb mound and the Terracotta Army.Terracotta is a type of fired clay. After molding the soldiers with wet clay, they were probably dried and baked in a kiln to harden the clay.The construction of the terracotta warriors and horses was completed in 40 years, around 206 BC, four years after Qin’s death.The second imperial dynasty - the Han Dynasty began soon after. The 18th son of Qin Shi Huang - Hu Hai became the second Emperor of the Qin dynasty.This unique tomb complex of the Emperor occupies close to 20 sq mi (51.8 sq km).With about 8,000 life-size statues of soldiers buried along with the Emperor, there were 130 chariots along with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses in the tomb. In ancient China, the royals intended to lead the same life when alive, even in the afterlife.Probably with the intention of the royal treatment in his afterlife, the Emperor had terracotta musicians, entertainers, acrobats, waterfowl, cranes, ducks, and government officials made too.Apart from the tomb’s occupants, two main rivers of China, the Yangtze, and the Yellow River, were replicated in the tomb by using mercury.When the Emperor ordered the creation of the Terracotta Army, he had it face east, towards the territories he’d already conquered. The possible logic is that he assumed that the souls of the dead would come for revenge.While later Chinese rulers did get terracotta figures made, it probably never occurred to any ruler to build a large army of clay soldiers such as the one by Emperor Qin Shi.Discovery Of The Chinese Terracotta WarriorsDiscovered completely by accident, the Chinese Terracotta Warriors are one of the unparalleled discoveries in history.The land where the Terracotta Army was discovered, was apparently rejected by many farmers owing to the poor farming quality as the land contained kiln ash and pottery fragments.However, farmer Yang Zhifa and six others began digging a well on this land, when they came across clay figure fragments. Assuming this to be a statue of God, they got nervous about offending God and bearing the wrath.When the news of this first discovery spread, archeological experts arrived at the spot and realized this was part of the Terracotta Army. The figures of the Terracotta Army are contained within three pits near the city of Xi’an in China’s Shaanxi province.Upon discovering the vast expanse of this underground tomb, the Terracotta Army has been often described as the eighth wonder of the World. UNESCO named this a World Heritage Site in 1987.From what has been unearthed so far, there are four pits of about 7.67 yd (7.01 m) deep. The terracotta figures have been discovered in three of these pits. The earth covering the tomb mound piles up more than 175 yd (160.02 m) high over the Emperor’s underground palace.Of the four pits discovered, the largest is Pit One with a rectangular layout covering a space of 150,000 sq ft (13,935.4 sq m). This is almost equivalent to the area of three soccer fields.The primary attraction is Pit One, which has 11 corridors paved with small, gray bricks, with wooden ceilings. Pit One is the size of an airplane hangar and holds over 6,000 terracotta figures of soldiers and horses.Pit Two has a mixed range of 1,300 warriors from different army units including archers, chariots, cavalry, and infantry units. This is assumed to represent a military guard.From the looks of Pit Two, it was partially burnt down, probably by rebellious forces, following the death of Emperor Qin Shi.Pit Three, the smallest and with only 68 figures, represents the command post. It contains high-ranking officials and a war chariot.Pit Four is empty, indicating that the work was probably halted following the Emperor’s demise. It is also expected that with continuing excavations, more Terracotta Warriors could be found in the future.A lot of the objects that were unearthed from the excavation site, along with some Terracotta Warriors have been exhibited at several museums around the World.The site of the Terracotta Army in Lintong, Xi’an was made into a museum in 1975 for people from all over the world to come to visit.The museum has three pits/vaults and an Exhibition Hall of the Bronze Chariots. The three vaults comprise terracotta figures of soldiers, horses, chariots, and different army units.The Exhibition Hall of the Bronze Chariots houses some of the World’s largest ancient bronze artifacts with intricate work. It includes two sets of bronze chariots and horses, decorated with gold and silver.Each of these bronze chariots had about 3,400 parts and weigh about 2721 lb (1,234 kg). An eight-year renovation work salvaged what had otherwise fallen apart into more than 1,000 pieces.What makes these tomb figurines unique?As unique as the view of the entire tomb, these tomb figurines are unique too.These clay soldiers stand at an average of 71 in (180 cm) tall, while some soldiers are almost 79 in (200 cm). The soldiers appear to be of different ages and ranks. If 8,000 soldiers were made to stand shoulder to shoulder, they would take up around 18,000 sq ft (1672.25 sq m).It is believed that the warriors were made taller than average modern Chinese people. This was because close combat in those times needed tall and strong warriors.The tall terracotta warriors seemed to more aptly represent the magnificence of the Emperor’s army. After being made, the warriors were mostly made to hold a weapon in their right hand.No two figures are alike. With lifelike features, the Terracotta Warriors were made from molds. It is believed that the separate molds of the arms, legs, torsos, and heads were put together. The finishing was done with customized features to make each soldier unique.With over 8-10 different head shapes used for these figures, the diverse Chinese cultures have been represented. What’s even more interesting is that each of the warriors in the army has different facial features. A combination of unique features ensures no two figures are alike.The terracotta horses that look almost real were constructed by keeping in mind the proper proportions of real horses. With the torsos being the same mostly, the heads were crafted uniquely. This made the horses as unique as the warriors.Not only does each Terracotta Warrior have unique facial features, but also the different ranks of warriors have different expressions, clothing, armor, and hairstyles. The hairstyles were made as either a flat bun or the cone bun and had particular shapes and ways of braiding.To give a realistic feel, the soldiers were painted and covered with lacquer for finishing. Black paint was used for the hair, beard, and eyebrows. Brighter colors were used for their uniforms.The terracotta officers’ superiority reflects through distinctive headgear, knee-length gowns, pants, a pair of shoes, and holding a piece of colorful armor. Soldiers can be mostly seen with a knee-length gown, armor, a hat/hood, pants, and shoes or boots. Some are without armor, fighting in light equipment.The impressive part is that these soldiers hold real weapons like crossbows, spears, and swords. While the soldiers are made of clay, there are close to 40,000 bronze weapons too.These bronze weapons, although as old as the statues themselves, were found in good condition. A thin layer of chromium coating kept them intact for more than 2,000 years.The uniqueness of each terracotta soldier raises the question of how the ancient craftsmen managed to carve over 8,000 different and unique Terracotta Warriors.Some suggest that the craftsmen probably assembled the different components made with a mold to make these warriors.The other popular suggestion is that these warriors are, in fact, replicas of real people and were produced individually. This was done to the extent that even the ears on each statue seem unique.The greatest mystery in the midst of the Terracotta Army is Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s actual tomb. Nobody knows what to expect if the mausoleum is ever opened. Historical records do mention that there are probably treasures untold in the underground palace. For all that we know, the discovery could be more surprising than that of the Egyptian Pyramids.Those exploring China must have The Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses on their list of places to visit, for the sight of the Terracotta Army is a sight to behold.Don’t be disheartened if you can’t travel to Xi’an, China, and see the eighth wonder of the World. Some of the select, rare artifacts and specimens are being used as the centerpiece of traveling exhibitions that highlight Qin Shi Huang’s reign.The British museum successfully organized ‘The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army’ exhibition with 120 objects from the tomb and 12 Terracotta Warriors. Following this, the exhibition has moved to several places in different countries for people to marvel at.
Imagine digging a well, but chancing upon pottery fragments, which in turn leads to the discovery of an entire army guarding an Emperor’s tomb!
