This large army of terra cotta warriors were accidentally discovered in 1974 near Xi'an by Chinese peasants while digging a well. The army of about 8000 lifesized warriors and horses was buried near the tomb of the first Chinese Emperor QinShi Huangdi, who united China and ruled from 246 to 210 B.C. Before the Qin dynasty, rulers were buried with women, slaves, and soldiers. To substitute for the actual humans, the emperor ordered a massive clay army to be produced for his protection in the afterlife.

The main site is oblong shaped, 689 feet long and 197 feet wide. The trenches that contain the soldiers are 14.8 to 21.3 feet deep. The actual bodies of the soldiers were formed out of terra cotta clay, baked in a kiln. The soldiers are dressed and in battle formation. They carried spears and various other combat weapons (although the wood has long disintegrated). The soldier's uniforms were originally painted, and some of the pigment is still visible after 2200 years. Different types of warriors include archers and infantrymen, and among these soldiers are six chariots. Each soldier has a distinct facial expression. Both the hands and the heads of the soldiers are detachable. Their heights range from 5 ft. 8 in. to 6 ft. 2.5 in.

Only about a thousand warriors have been excavated

Exterior of the large hangar-like building which covers the main group of warriors.
1/2-scale model of carriage	1/2-scale model of carriage	1/2-scale model of chariot

The photos below were taken at the Wuhan City Museum, where a traveling exhibition of items from the same Qin emperor's tomb was on display:

Exterior of Wuhan City Museum
Kneeling archer	Kneeling archer
Chariot driver	Horse and replica of a chariot.	Many swords, such as this one found at burial site, were protected from corrosion by a thin plating of chromium. (How this was accomplished is still unknown.)
Plowshare	Entertainer?
Infantryman	Officer	Standing archer

Last modified: 27 October 2004

Photos by Dennis Bricker, while visiting Wuhan University of Technology
Wuhan, Hubei, China

dennis-bricker@uiowa.edu