The discovery of the Terracotta Army guards the mausoleum of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, who is renowned as the founder of the Qin Dynasty and reigned over a vast empire from 221 BC until his death in 210 BC.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb lies buried at the heart of a 249-foot (76-meter) tall mound in what is today Xi’an’s Lintong District, situated in the northwest of China. The necropolis surrounding the emperor’s tomb was first uncovered in 1974 by local farmers.
The tomb complex features four main pits, each of which was carefully arranged to protect Emperor Qin’s tomb, as if to fortify him from the states to the east that he had conquered in life.
The latest, third excavation of pit one β which has been underway for a decade β has exposed around 4,300 terracotta warriors, each standing at a height of 400 centimeters (about 13 feet). This newest batch of Terracotta Soldiers comes from various divisions, including a previously unknown unit dubbed ‘lower than the lowest,’ reported by Shaanxi TV.
Among the other remarkable finds from the necropolis is a golden camel figurine, believed to be the oldest of its kind found in China.
The broader finds from the necropolis include a golden camel figurine, a graceful creature that is believed to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China.
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The necropolis surrounding the unearthed tomb harbors more than 8,200 scaled-down terracotta soldiers, initially discovered in 1974 by local farmers.
“The terracotta warriors in the mausoleum are lined up the same way as real soldiers thousands of years ago in the Qin Dynasty (221β206 BC),” explained Cultural Relics Academy member Liuzheng to the Global Times.
“So, archaeologicalists can research real military systems of the dynasty with these excavated warriors,” he added.
For example, senior military officers in the Qin Dynasty stood at the front of their formations with their swords in their hands, Mr. Liu explained.
In addition, he added, the senior officers would determine access to their subordinate soldiers.
Alongside the new soldiers, archaeologicalists also unearthed weapons and twelve horses during this latest run of excavations within the tomb.
The new terracotta soldiers also have well-preserved original colors.
“When these pottery figurines were first excavated, they were mostly colorless β with red belts and dark armor β but we lacked preservation skills and the colors faded,” Mr. Liu said.
“But, this time, improved technological methods are enabling the newly found figurines to retain their vivid colors.”
“Exhibition, excavation, and conservation of the mausoleum are proceeding at the same time.”
Among the other recent finds from the necropolis is a golden ceramic figurine, specifically a phoenix, which is believed to be the oldest of its kind found in China
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