Day 239
In 1974 some farmers were digging a water well near Xi'an, China. They accidentally made one of the greatest archeological discoveries of the twentieth century, the terracotta army of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇). Construction of the necropolis began shortly after Qin Shi Huang rose to power at age 13 in 246 BC. By the time of his death in 210 BC, the three pits containing the Terracotta Army contained 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 510 horses and 150 cavalry horses. This army was built to accompany the emperor in the afterlife. There's a ton more info about the army here and here and here.
I spent most of a day visiting the Terracotta Army. For me, the site lived up to the hype. The most impressive part was the minute level of detail. Every soldier had a unique face. Each strand of hair was individually carved. There was even tread on the bottoms of their shoes. Besides the opportunity to look at the soldiers themselves, there was a lot of information about the history of the army and its discovery. In fact, the Terracotta Army was one of my favorite sites in all of China.
Here are some of my pictures:
Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army attracts visitors from around the world.
A few of the warriors are available for closeup viewing.
Every warrior has a unique face.
Even the hairstyles can be different for each warrior.
The excavation is still in progress.
The newly excavated warriors are tagged.
Some of the terracotta is cracked.
The paint oxidizes during the excavation process.
Here's what one of the warriors looked like originally.
Many of the estimated 8000 soldiers have been excavated...
But much of the army remains buried.
And many are waiting to be reassembled.
In addition to the warriors, there are also over 500 horses.
And there's the famous bronze chariot.
Here's a closeup of two horse heads.
Here's an example of a kneeling archer. His wooden bow is long gone.
The intricate details extend all the way to the tread on his shoe.
This guy was a general. His uniform gives it away.
Many of the warriors have a lifelike gaze.
You could spend all day examining Qin Shi Huang's formidable army.
No wonder this site is considered one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Here are the rest of my Terracotta Warriors photos.
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