Terracotta army

              TERRACOTTA  ARMY 

ARMYMORE THAN 8000 SOLDIERS, 130 CHARIOTS AND 670 HORSES FORM THIS VAST, LIFE-SIZE CLAY ARMY, PROTECTING CHINA’S FIRST EMPEROR IN THE AFTERLIFE.

ven from the balcony, the terracotta fi gures look  impressively human – not crudely sculpted like some child’s toy soldier set. They almost seem like real 

people, cast into clay by some horrifi c natural disaster. 

  Most are still intact; the odd few are headless.

Leaving Pit 3, the smallest pit, with 72 warriors and horses, you enter Pit 2, containing much of the same, 

but well over 1000 fi gures this time – kneeling and standing archers, cavalrymen and their horses, offi cers 

and generals. Many are still being excavated. 

Moving on to Pit 1, the most imposing, you’re glad you saved it for last. In a building the size of an aircraft hangar are row upon row of thousands of fi gures and horses, all facing east, ready for battle. Apparently this pit contains around 6000 warriors in total, but not 

all are on display. The vanguard of archers, holding crossbows and longbows, are followed by the main 

force of soldiers, and fi nally the infantry. You’re told that the infantry were originally accompanied by chariots, but as they were made of wood they’ve long since disintegrated. Regardless, it’s an impressive army to face the afterlife. 

The subterranean, life-size army of thousands has silently stood guard over the soul of China’s first unifier for more than two millennia. Either Emperor Qin 

Shi Huang was terrifi ed of the vanquished spirits awaiting him in the afterlife, or he expected his rule to continue in death as it had in life.

During the 3rd century BC, the emperor commissioned the army of more than 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses to be buried near his tomb. But over the millennia they were forgotten about, 

hidden away underground. Their discovery was entirely fortuitous. 

While digging a well in March 1974, some peasants hit something hard. As they dug around the object, they unearthed a decapitated head made of 

terracotta pottery. Littered nearby were similar clay shards. After notifying the authorities, who called in archaeologists, an underground vault was revealed, yielding thousands of terracotta warriors 

and horses in battle formation. 

In total, four pits containing military clay fi gures have been unearthed. The fi gures vary in height and detail depending on their roles. Generals are taller and have feathered hats which tie 

below the chin, while infantrymen 

are smaller and wear simple woollen hats. Stamped on each is the assembly line foreman’s name, so any shoddy work could be traced back to those responsible.One of the four pits remains 

empty. According to writings by a court historian, 700,000 labourers worked on the project, which stopped in 209 BC when uprisings broke out a year after 

Emperor Qin’s death.