TerraCotta Warriors

Source: 7junipers.com

Ying Zheng, who ascended to the throne of state of Qin at age 13, renamed himself as Qin Shin Huangdi. In his rule, he brought surrounding areas under his control and rewarded soldiers for each enemy head that they took. He used to bury dissenters alive. He standardized currency, weights & measures and built an extensive network of roads. His best claim to fame is the army he created himself after his death which came to be known as Terracotta warriors.

Terracotta warriors had only one aim, which is to protect their emperor even after his death. China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, was extremely concerned about his assassination during his reign. His concern was to such a high level that he rarely stayed in the same palace for two nights in a row. In order to safeguard his afterlife, he built an army of life-size warriors made out of clay and got them buried around his tomb. Around 7000 Terracotta sculptures were buried which were facing eastwards to a pass in the mountains from where the enemies were expected to attack.

The burial was undisturbed until 1974 when a group of farmers found them while digging a well in Shaanxi province. Till date, around 1000 sculptures have been restored. Now, it is a famous tourist attraction in China.

‘Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor’ is a 12000 ft. exhibit that runs through March 31, 2010. It features 15 Terracotta sculptures – two infantrymen, one chariot driver, two officers, one armored warrior, two archers and a cavalryman, two musicians, one strongman, one court official, one stable attendant and a horse. Also on display are weapons, armor made from limestone, coins, ornaments and roof tiles.

The figures are almost 6-feet tall and weight 300-400 pounds each. They were made in an assembly-line process in which legs and feet were made from solid clay and torsos were built from coils. Other body parts such as limbs, head, ears and hands were fixed separately. Intricate facial expressions, different hairstyles and expressions were given to all of them.

Presently, no pigments remain and weapons once held by warriors are either rotten through the time or stolen during different uprisings.

Source: www.rosco.com

Terracotta warriors are one of the most famous archaeological findings in China. Being of historical significance, they are exhibit all over the world. Some of the most popular exhibits are shown in Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Australia and many more places. It is famous by title ‘Terracota Warriors: Defenders of the China’s first emperor’. It is very well done and gives a unique experience.

The exhibit focuses on the life and afterlife of the first emperor of Qin, Ying Zheng, born in 259 B.C. When Ying Zheng ascended to the throne at the age of 13, he got himself the title of Qin Shi Huangdi. He was so scared about his afterlife that he ordered to construct a massive tomb for himself. This construction involved around 700,000 laborers and went for up to 40 years. Nearly 8000 sculptures were constructed to guard the Emperor’s underworld imperium.

The buried Terracota army was discovered in 1974 by a group of farmers who were digging a well outside Xian. They brought up the archaeologists who dig it further and are still doing it.

About 250 objects are shown in the exhibit. Among all of them, the most famous were bronze ritual objects, a suit of Qin tomb armor made from limestone plaque, ceramic bowls, jugs, sculptures of warriors and non-army people, dinnerware and tomb gates. The figures from the terracotta army are exquisite and made with intricate details.

The uniqueness of this exhibit is also due to its scholarly research. It not only shows Terrawarriors, but also shows the history preceding the first emperor. People coming to the exhibit will also get to see four life-size bronze birds that are a crane, a swan and two geese, bronze ritual vessels, jade artifacts, gold & silver ornaments, architectural material and pottery.

Another point of uniqueness is in terms of Terracotta warriors and horses. For example, a kneeling archer with a green face is present. It is uncertain why it is painted green. Some say that it might be a military shaman, some say it to be playful paint of a craftsman; still there is no certain reason behind it.

Source: famouswonders.com

Terracotta Army refers to the collection of terracotta sculptures that depicts the armies of first male ruler of China, Qin Shi Huang. It is a kind of funerary art buried with the ruler in 210-209 BC. Mythology suggests that it was done so as to protect the ruler in his life after death.

It was first discovered in 1974 by some rural farmers in Shaanxi province. The figures that appear in the sculptures have different heights, with the tallest depicting the generals and shortest depicting the army’s starting rank. Along with human figures like warriors & horses, it also included sculptures of chariots & weapons used. There were other non-military figures also like those of musicians, acrobats, officials and strongmen. There are 3 pits found having these sculptures. Estimates suggest that it contains over 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses.

Historical Background

The Terracotta army was first discovered on 29th March 1974 by a group of farmers in east of Xi’an in Shaanxi province. While digging a water well of around 1.6 km east of Qin Emperor’s tomb mound at Mount Lishan, they found pieces of Terracotta figures and fragments such as bricks, slab of fired clay used in roofing and chunks of masonry. These findings encouraged archaeologists to investigate and they discovered one of the biggest figurine group.

Along-with sculptures of warriors, an entire man-made necropolis for the ruler has also been found around his tomb mound. It consists of offices, halls and other structures that are being surrounded by two solid rammed earth walls with gateway entrances. While digging around Mount Li burial mound, archaeologists found many graves that dated from eighteenth to nineteenth centuries.

Recent scientific works at the site also found high levels of mercury in the soil of tomb mound. The tomb of Shi Huangdi appeared to be a hermetically sealed space with size similar to a football pitch and located underneath the pyramidal tomb mound. Historical facts suggest that after the death of Emperor, his tomb had been looted by Xiang Yu, a contender for the throne.

Only a section of the site has been recovered through digging. It is also open only to selected foreign dignitaries to walk through the pits and observe the sculptures closely.