Terracotta Army
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The Terracotta Army (Template:Zh-cpl) or Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses is a collection of 8,099 life-size terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (秦始皇陵; Qín Shǐ Huáng Líng). The figures were discovered in 1974 near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.
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Creation
The terracotta figures were buried with the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang) in 210-209 BC. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Army."
All 8,099 soldiers are unique and distinguishable with different height and facial features. The soldiers are modeled after selected soldiers from the time period who were considered to be the finest of China. The figures are in several poses including standing infantry and kneeling archers as well as charioteers with horses. Each figure's head appears to be unique showing a variety of facial features and expressions as well as hair styles.
There are three separate pits, which represent three different sections of the army. The largest pit, and most famous, holds the infantry. The second pit contains the cavalry, and the third contains the officers. A fourth pit, which was planned but never built, is thought to be the supply unit. All three pits remain under continuous excavation as many of the warriors have yet to be unearthed. The incredibly tedious task of digging up the statues piece by piece (the destruction of the rooms managed to damage all of the soldiers) and reassembling them is very time consuming and may take several more decades to realize completion. The exact number of soldiers to be discovered is unknown, but promises to be very large as the terra cotta warriors have been billed as "The Eighth Wonder of the World."
Qin Shi Huang had the figures created and buried with him in the belief that they would protect him after his death. The figures were buried in battle formation in many vaults, 1.5 kilometers east of Qin Shi Huang's tomb, which is 33 km east of Xi'an. The army was built facing enemy territory, and in between these enemies and the Emperor's tomb.
Destruction
It is believed that the statues were destroyed only some 50 years after their original creation, due to a fire set during a peasant uprising. The original design included a wooden roof covering the rows of soldiers, and the statues were crushed as the tomb burned.
Imperial tomb
The tomb of Qin Shi Huang is near an earthen pyramid 76 metres tall and nearly 350 metres square. The tomb presently remains unopened. There are plans to seal-off the area around the tomb with a special tent-type structure to prevent corrosion from exposure to outside air. However, there is only one company in the world that makes these tents, and their largest model will not cover the site as needed.
It is thought that the tomb will contain many rooms, valuable treasures, and also the remains of the "interior designers" of the tomb, who were supposedly sealed alive inside the tomb to prevent them from telling anyone of the contents of the tomb or the location of its entrance. Also buried with Qin Shi Huang were all the women from his court who had not borne any children. Some historians believe that they were buried alive.
Magnetic scans of the land above the tomb have confirmed the legend of a great map of China, with rivers of flowing mercury. The scans have even shown concentrations of mercury where great bodies of water would be on such a map.
Further information on the tomb is available at the People's Daily article: [1]
Model displays in the United States
Forbidden Gardens, a privately-funded outdoor museum in Katy, Texas has 6,000 1/3 scale replica terra-cotta soldiers displayed in formation as they were buried in the 3rd century BC. Several full-size replicas are included for scale, and replicas of weapons discovered with the army are shown in a separate Weapons Room. The museum's sponsor is a Chinese businessman whose goal is to share his country's history.
Trivia
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, a computer game simulating the economy and trade of medieval China, includes a sequence on the Qin empire where the Terracotta Army is constructed by the player as part of the scenario goal. Laborers dig out a massive pit, after which carpenters assemble the wooden pillars. Ceramists use clay to make the Army, after which more carpenters hammer a wooden covering over the pit. Finally, this roof-like covering is covered over by dirt.
The computer game Rise of Nations includes the Terracotta Army as a wonder that the player can build.de:Terrakottaarmee es:Ejército de terracota eo:Maŭzoleo de Unua Imperiestro de Qin-dinastio fr:Mausolée de l'empereur Qin hr:Vojska terakota he:צבא הטרקוטה it:Esercito di Terracotta nl:Terracottaleger ja:兵馬俑 no:Terrakotta-hæren pl:Terakotowa Armia fi:Terrakotta-armeija sv:Terrakottaarmén zh:秦始皇兵马俑