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Why the Qin
Terra Cotta Warriors
are special
The Qin Terra Cotta Warriors site near Xi'an city has nearly 8,000 life sized pottery warriors and
horses in battle attire and formation. They
had been buried for over 2,200 years.
This terra
cotta statuary is considered to be the most
important archaeological discovery of the 20th century.
Qin Terra Cotta Warriors
tips and insights
 The
word Qin is pronounced ch'in.
The
site was discovered accidentally in 1974 when several
local peasants were digging a well and came across
some pottery relics. Archaeologists
quickly determined their ancient origin and began
excavating the site.
The
pottery warriors and horses (along with wooden
chariots) were buried to protect the 3rd century BC Emperor Qin in
his afterlife.
Emperor
Qin is historically important because he was the first ruler to unite China.
So far, four underground vaults
have been unearthed.
The main vault (#1) is the largest and houses 6,000
life sized terra cotta warriors. Originally, they
were colorfully painted. The underground combat-ready soldiers are accompanied by
sculpted horses, chariots and more.
Vault
#2 is smaller with less statuary. Vault #3
is even smaller. Vault #4 was found empty.
The
pottery human figures average 1.8 meters (six
feet) in height. Their weight range is about 100
to 300 kilograms (220 to 660 pounds).
The
warrior statues are hand made and assembled in
parts. The heads were the last to be attached and
received the most artistic attention. Each warrior bears a unique facial
expression, suggesting that live models were used.
The
site is officially designated as a museum.
Over
80 million people have visited the museum complex
since it opened to the public a quarter century
ago.
Emperor
Qin is believed to be buried under an enormous
earth mound about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the
terra cotta warrior site. Archaeologists have yet to
excavate it. Ancient writings hint that Qin's
mausoleum may contain a wealth of
artistic treasures, more striking and precious than those found in King Tut's tomb.
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