The terra cotta warriors were accidentally discovered by Chinese peasants while digging a well. This discovery prompted archaeologists to proceed to Shaanxi, China to investigate. No one knows why this site became buried and lost among memories in the clay and in the minds of China. What they found was the ancient burial-site of Shihuangdi. These warriors were placed all around the burial tomb of Emperor Qin. Before Qin, masters were buried with women, slaves, and soldiers. This tradition during China's feudal period vanished during the life of Qin. To substitute for the actual humans, Qin ordered a massive clay army to be produced for his protection. Qin wanted the afterlife to be the same as his life on earth. Qin produced a warlike culture in China, which brought him many enemies. During his lifetime there were three attempts to assassinate him. He had to be protected in the afterlife. He wanted his afterlife to be exactly like his life in China. This is the reason for the making of the warriors.
The first
site was excavated in 1974. Although much of the site had been looted soon
after it was built, archaeologists discovered
6,000 pottery figures. This oblong shaped site is 689 feet long, 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.
Each soldier was baked in a kiln. The positioning of the soldiers in the
oblong shape shows an actual battle formation of the troops. These warriors
were dressed and ready for battle. They carried spears and various other
combat weapons. Each warrior is wearing an
army uniform which distinguishes the soldier's rank. The soldier's uniforms
were painted either red or green. They also wore
either brown or black armor. Different types of warriors include bowman,
infantrymen, and among these soldiers are six chariots.
Each soldier has a distinct facial expression. Even the horses found at
this site have different poses. Both the hands
and the heads of the soldiers are
detachable. These pieces of the body were carefully crafted and painted
separately. The purpose of this was to provide the soldier with individuality
and uniqueness. This also shows the quality of Chinese art during this
time. These soldiers were made to be naturalistic. The height of the normal
soldiers ranges from 5 ft. 8 in. to 6 ft. 2.5 in. Those that rode the chariots
were 6 ft. 2.5 in. The commanders
were the tallest out of all the soldiers. They stood 6 ft. 5 in. Clearly
height represented the importance of the officer.
The second excavation occurred in May of 1976. This pit contains 1,400 warriors with horses. It is 64,000 square feet in area. Pit number two differs greatly from the first pit. The battle formation was square. This pit contains sixty-four chariots. It has divided groups which include infantrymen, cavalrymen and even commanders to guide the troops. This display of soldiers gives insight into the work that went into the Chinese army. Long distance battles had to be fought by using many chariots. The facial expressions of the men in this pit are also very different from those men in the first pit.
The third pit was discovered in 1980. This pit is the smallest out of the three discovered. It contains only one chariot, six warriors, and a small amount of weapons. This room is thought to be a group of special commanders. A fourth pit was also discovered. This room is bare. This room is probably empty because the workers did not complete the warriors in time for Qin's death.
Archaeologists
continue to excavate the burial site if Emperor Qin. His actual tomb has
not been excavated. These warriors will continue to give insight
into the history of both Chinese art and war tactics. They represent a
microcosm of life during the Qin Dynasty. The dynasties following Qin would
pattern their lives after this great
dynasty of the Fist Emperor of China.