In 1974 farmers in China made a shocking discovery while digging a well: a life-sized head made of terracotta buried in their field. The farmers had no idea that they had unearthed part of the first emperor's "terracotta army," an artistic feat commissioned to accompany Emperor Shi Huangdi in the afterlife. These clay soldiers of the terracotta army may number more than 8,000, with life-sized terra cotta statues made of each individual soldier. China's terra cotta warriors freeze these common fighters in time, giving scholars an unprecedented view into life in China more than two millennia ago.
Why Clay Soldiers and a Terracotta Army?
Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi declared himself the first emperor of China in 221 BCE. Though the Qin (pronounced "chin") dynasty was short-lived, and ended with his death in 210 BCE, Qin Shi Huangdi consolidated power in China, ended the "Era of the Warring States," and began the dynasty system that would last for 2100 years after his death. The terra cotta army is a symbol of his power and consolidation of China.
Qin Shi Huangdi ordered the creation of his clay soldiers, a terracotta army, and replicas of soldiers, horses, chariots, acrobats, and real weapons to be used with this clay army as part of his funereal tomb, to help the emperor to rule over a new empire in the afterlife. Employing more than 700,000 laborers, the clay replicas and terra cotta soldiers may number more than 8,000, with only 1,000 properly excavated more than 35 years after their discovery.
The emperor's tomb began construction when he was only thirteen years old, in 246 BCE. Qin Shi Huangdi's specific instructions that each clay soldier be unique and the time needed to make this so was recognized. Workers completed the tomb in the year of his death, 210 BCE.
Who Were the Terra Cotta Warriors?
Each terra cotta warrior is different from the next. No two clay soldiers are the same, leaving archaeologists to posit that the emperor ordered these members of his imperial army to pose for the sculptors. The effort would have required extraordinary organization, resources, and time.
The terra cotta army is named one of the 890 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Terracotta Warriors Tour
From 2007 to 2008 the British Museum in London hosted a traveling exhibition of the terracotta warriors, the most popular event in the museum since the King Tut exhibit more than 30 years prior. From 2008 through 2009 China's terra cotta army tour included museums in California and Houston.
The National Geographic Museum hosted a four-month exhibit of the terra cotta army from November 2009 to March 2010 in Washington D.C.; the clay exhibition drew record crowds
To read more about China's clay soldiers tour, go to the Terra Cotta Warrior Exhibit and Visit China's Terracotta Warriors.
Melanie Zoltan - Melanie Zoltan is a former college professor and administrator who has written for About.com, PCWorld, Brain Child, Thomson Gale, and ...
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