This photograph, captured in 1974, showcases the initial discovery of an extensive collection of Terracotta warriors in Xi’an, China.
What makes this image remarkable is that it unveils the vivid original colors that were meticulously painted onto these life-sized clay warriors over 2,000 years ago by skilled artisans.
Regrettably, when exposed to air and sunlight during the excavation, these ancient colors began to rapidly deteriorate and disappeared within minutes.
These Terracotta warriors were strategically placed to serve as guardians of the tomb belonging to the first emperor of unified China. As of today, the tomb remains unopened.
According to accounts from ancient historians, the tomb is believed to encompass an entire subterranean kingdom and palace, complete with ceilings adorned with pearls to simulate the night sky. The tomb is also said to house exceedingly rare artifacts and booby traps set with crossbows to deter any potential intruders. To safeguard the tomb’s secrecy, the laborers who constructed it were supposedly buried with the emperor.
Sima Qian, a historian from the Han dynasty, mentioned that within the tomb, “mercury was used to fashion the hundred rivers, the Yellow river and the Yangtze river, and the seas in such a way that they flowed.” Modern tests have indicated extraordinarily high levels of mercury in the surrounding soil.
Chinese archaeologists have just unearthed an army of 114 clay soldier statues in a Qin Dynasty tomb in Xi’an city, China. Xi’an – a city in Shaanxi province, China – is one of the four capitals in Chinese history. In fact, it was the seat of 13 dynasties, including the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties.
Currently, scientists are trying to decode the mystery and search for remaining fragments to restore the statue for research.
Qin Shi Huang’s tomb, located near the ancient city of Xi’an, became famous in 1976 when 8,000 statues of terracotta warriors were discovered guarding the tomb. This emperor ruled China in 221-210 BC and is said to have spent decades building the massive underground mausoleum.
In Qin Shi Huang’s tomb are some 8,000 life-sized warriors, including archers, infantrymen, charioteers, commanders and acrobats, plus 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry. All were buried after King Qin passed by to help and protect him in the afterlife.
Experts hope to discover more elaborately carved warriors to supplement the “collection” of 1,000 soldier statues previously found. In particular, archaeologists hope to find more statues of high-ranking officers because most of the statues that have been discovered are of archers, charioteers and infantrymen, helping to protect the Qin king in the 19th century. the other side.
According to research, these newly excavated statues were buried 2,200 years ago, are about 1.8m to 2m tall and weigh about 181kg, with black hair and brown or black eyes. The faces of the statues are colored green, white or pink.
The special thing is that these warriors are meticulously carved and no two statues are alike. Many people believe that talented craftsmen made them from real-life models.
Above is an image of an infantryman’s arm. The paint on the arm prompted scientists to new research on the bold colors used to decorate the armor of ancient armies.
Many statues were broken into small pieces, mixed with weapons, vases, jars and other objects. Archaeologists found many burn marks on the clay – evidence that these statues were once burned.
Mr. Xu Weihong – leader of the excavation team said, “It is very difficult to restore clay soldier statues when they have broken into many pieces. It takes us at least 10 days to restore one statue.” Since excavation, the statues have faced many risks from mold, humidity, dust, and coal smoke from local industry. A special maintenance process will be applied to protect the small details of each statue from the “attack” of air.
The soldiers’ costumes are also quite neat. Most of them wear a long shirt that reaches their knees, with a belt around their waist. The soldiers’ arms are bent as if in a position holding weapons, the whole arm is covered with a long shirt, the biceps and shoulders are equipped with additional armor for protection. There is a clear division between the clothing of the ranks, cloth is usually reserved for soldiers, officers will be dressed in silk.
The statue’s eyes help archaeologists recognize the fierce and gentle appearance of soldiers or officers. The group of archaeological experts said that all baked clay statues were decorated with colorful colors, but the colors have gradually faded after two millennia.
* Qin Shi Huang died in 210 BC at the age of 50. He founded the first centralized feudal empire in China by conquering lands and expanding the territory. As a “terror” in Chinese history, Qin Shi Huang built a system of roads and canals along the early Great Wall. Besides, he unified the measurement system, formed a single written language, currency and legal system.
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