Scholars have discovered that these sculptures represented the Terracotta Warriors, who were organized into trenches to preserve Emperor Qin Shi Huang after his tragic death. A curiosity of these warriors is that each face has its individuality, so many say that each warrior really existed.
Also, in 1987, UNESCO placed the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, where the Warriors are located, on a list of Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The mausoleum is a structure very rich in details, it was built for the protection of the warriors. The entire place tells an incredible story about culture and power.
These eccentric mausoleums are in Xi’an, 1,200 km from Beijing. For more than a millennium, Xi’an was the capital of the unified empire and the seat of 11 Chinese dynasties. The city was situated at an important crossroads on the Silk Road and welcomed people from all directions.
Qin Shihuangdi, first emperor of the Qin dynasty and responsible for the initial unification of China in the year 221 BC, was a tremendous despot and they tried to assassinate him three times. His curriculum of works is great – it even includes part of the Great Wall, which was reinforced during his reign. The emperor opened new roads, built palaces, created irrigation systems and instituted a severe penal code. Weights, measures and coins were unified. The design of the famous Chinese coin with a hole in the center dates from this time.
Qin Shihuangdi's delusion of grandeur caused him to start building his mausoleum as soon as he was enthroned, in the year 246 BC, at just 13 years of age. As part of the belief, he aspired to take with him, at the moment of leaving earthly life, everything that was important. For him, the main thing was his army. When he died in 210 BC, aged 49, a whole host of full-size terracotta warriors accompanied him into the next life. More than 700,000 people worked to assemble its majestic tomb.
The warriors form eleven columns towards the east. The human figures are natural size and range from 1.72 meters to 2 meters in height. Each soldier has a different face: some smile, others are more serious. Some have a beard, others mustaches. The headdress identifies status: the more sophisticated, the greater the position. While the torso, arms and head are hollow, the hands and legs are molded from solid clay.
According to archaeologists, the paint was made from minerals and fixatives, such as animal blood or egg white. Another analysis showed that the pieces were cooked in ovens with a temperature of up to 1,000°C, demonstrating a great skill in the art of ceramics.
Originally, soldiers carried real weapons such as bows, arrows, swords and spears. Wooden artifacts have not reached our days, but those made of bronze and other alloys were unearthed in perfect condition. The terracotta horses, also full-size, seem to be alive and their open mouths suggest neighing. Archaeologists believe that, if fully excavated, this first pit would unveil about 6,000 warriors, 160 horses and 40 chariots.
According to archaeologists, the paint was made from minerals and fixatives, such as animal blood or egg white. Another analysis showed that the pieces were cooked in ovens with a temperature of up to 1,000°C, demonstrating a great skill in the art of ceramics.
Originally, soldiers carried real weapons such as bows, arrows, swords and spears. Wooden artifacts have not reached our days, but those made of bronze and other alloys were unearthed in perfect condition. The terracotta horses, also full-size, seem to be alive and their open mouths suggest neighing. Archaeologists believe that, if fully excavated, this first pit would unveil about 6,000 warriors, 160 horses and 40 chariots.
Fascinatingly, the place, Qin Ling, 30 km east of Xi’an, was only discovered 22 centuries after it was built. In March 1974, a peasant drilling a well found a piece of pottery. Afraid of having done something wrong, he chose to call the authorities. Then came the archaeologists, without much pretension. But when they expanded their search, they were stunned: warriors and horses began to pour out of the earth day after day. Were it not for the peasant's well, these treasures might still be under the ground.
Via National Geographic Nature
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