Terracotta Army, Archaeological site in Xi'an, China
The Terracotta Army is an archaeological site near Xi'an in China containing several excavation pits with thousands of life-size clay soldiers arranged in military formations. The figures are accompanied by horses, chariots, and weapons made from clay, all positioned within underground chambers that replicate a complete army structure.
Farmers drilling a well in 1974 stumbled upon the first figures, triggering excavations that uncovered over eight thousand soldiers, six hundred seventy horses, and a hundred thirty chariots. The warriors were created around 210 BCE for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, initiating decades of systematic archaeological work at the site.
The warriors draw Chinese and international visitors who come to grasp how rulers more than two millennia ago sought to secure influence beyond death. Many tourists combine the visit with journeys along the historic routes around Xi'an and view the site as testimony to the might of the Qin dynasty.
The museum provides access to three main pits, with the first pit displaying the largest number of restored figures. Visits typically last two to three hours and include exhibition halls with explanations of the excavation process and conservation of the objects.
Scientific analysis revealed that the statues were once painted in bright colors including red, green, and purple, but the pigments degraded rapidly upon contact with air during excavation. Today only traces remain detectable through modern examination methods that help reconstruct the original coloring and decoration of each figure.
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