The Terra-cotta Army

The Terra-cotta Warriors
Lindsay Sohn


The Terra-cotta warriors are a collection of terra-cotta figures representing the army of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. They were buried with him in order to protect him and supply him with what he needed in the afterlife. The emperor ordered construction of his mausoleum in roughly  246 BC.  It is estimated that is took about 70,000 workers to complete the mausoleum throughout his lifetime.
Qin Shi Huang was 13 when he stepped up to the throne in 246 BC. He was an extremely effective emperor, having unified numerous warring kingdoms during his reign. He is credited for creating the first idea for the Great Wall and creating new national road systems throughout China. He died at the age of 50 in 210 BC.
The mausoleum, as well as the army, was constructed from the time he first stepped up to the throne at age 13. The army was said to have been constructed by both government laborers and local craftsman. Each figure is life-sized and life-like. The heights of soldiers vary between the rank or position. For example, the generals are most likely taller than the rest of the army. Each uniform and hairstyle applies to the specific soldier's ranking. The arms, legs, head, and torso of each soldier are created separately and later assembled together. It is said that roughly eight face molds were used but more clay was added on to distinguish different faces. Workshops who crafted each soldier were required to write their names into the figure. This helped modern historians tell that the army was crafted in different workshops. Some historians believe that the soldiers were originally crafted in color. However, today, the color is greatly faded so it is difficult to tell.
The army includes soldiers, horses, chariots, strongmen, and musicians. Historians estimate that there are roughly 8,000 soldiers, 520 horses, 130 chariots, and 150 Calvary horses. The army was buried in three pits, due to the forth being left unfinished. The pits are 1.5 km east of Qin Shi Huang's burial ground. Some believe that the walls of the pits were designed to keep conquering states out. Pit one was mainly filled with the 8,000 soldiers. Pit two was filled with noblemen and war chariots while pit three was filled with was built to represent he command post, containing the commanding officers.
In 1974, the army was discovered in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an Shaanxi province. Local farmers were drilling a water well in the ground. Archeologists confirmed that the army was made as funeral art and served for roughly 2,000 years. This discovery of the Terra-cotta army is considered one of the world's greatest archeological discoveries.