What Is The Terracotta Army And Why Was It Built?

The Eternal Guardians of China's First Emperor

1. What Is the Terracotta Army?

The Terracotta Army is a collection of thousands of life-size clay models of soldiers, horses, and chariots deposited around the grand mausoleum of Shi Huangdi, first emperor of China and founder of the Qin dynasty, located near Lishan in Shaanxi Province, central China [citation:1]. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals . The army includes warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians [citation:8].

2. The Purpose of the Terracotta Army

The purpose of the army was likely to act as guardian figures for the tomb or to serve their ruler in the next life [citation:1]. The army was a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC, and its purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife . It was intended to help rule another empire with Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife [citation:3]. The buried army faces east, poised for battle, about three-quarters of a mile from the outer wall of the tomb proper, guarding it from Shi Huangdi's chief former adversaries, who had come from that direction [citation:6].

3. Complete Comparison Table: Key Facts About the Terracotta Army

4. The Discovery of the Terracotta Army

The site was discovered in 1974 CE by some local farmers who were digging a water well [citation:1]. The region around the mountain was riddled with underground springs and watercourses [citation:3]. The Terracotta Army was discovered on 29 March 1974 to the east of Xi'an in Shaanxi province [citation:8]. For centuries, there had been occasional reports of pieces of terracotta figures and fragments of the Qin necropolis being dug up in the area [citation:3].

5. The Construction of the Terracotta Army

The terracotta army figures were manufactured in workshops by government laborers and by local craftsmen [citation:3]. The head, arms, legs, and torsos were created separately and then assembled [citation:3]. Studies show that eight face molds were most likely used, and then clay was added to provide individual facial features [citation:3]. The material to make the terracotta warriors originated on Mount Lishan [citation:3].

6. The Pits and Organization

There are four main pits associated with the terracotta army [citation:8]. These pits are located about 1.5 km east of the burial mound and are about 7 metres deep [citation:8]. The army is placed as if to protect the tomb from the east [citation:8]. Pit one contains the main army of more than 6,000 figures [citation:8]. Pit two has cavalry and infantry units as well as war chariots and is thought to represent a military guard [citation:8]. Pit three is the command post, with high-ranking officers and a war chariot [citation:8]. Pit four is empty, seemingly left unfinished [citation:8].

7. The Weapons of the Terracotta Army

Weapons such as swords, spears, battle-axes, scimitars, shields, crossbows, and arrowheads were found at the pits [citation:8]. Some of these weapons, such as the swords, are still very sharp and were found to be coated with chromium oxide [citation:8]. This layer of chromium oxide has kept the swords rust-free and in pristine condition after 2,000 years [citation:8]. Some carry inscriptions giving dates of manufacture between 245 and 228 BC, indicating they were actual weapons used in warfare before their burials [citation:8].

8. The UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, which includes the Terracotta Army, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 [citation:6]. The compound was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, and archaeological excavations on the site continued into the 21st century [citation:6].