The founder of the Qin dynasty, who completed the construction of the Great Wall of China, was preparing for death ahead of time: he built a huge tomb for himself, and several “smaller” crypts for servants and warriors. Together with the emperor, 70 thousand workers were buried, along with their families. But the emperor did not kill the warriors. Instead, he ordered artisans to create an army of terracotta, each warrior of which would have a real person as a prototype.

Despite the fact that Chinese historians are very careful about their cultural heritage, the terracotta army has somehow been forgotten. Its discovery turned out to be an accident - in the summer of 1974, in the province of Shaanxi, while digging a well, at a depth of 5 meters, a Chinese peasant stumbled upon one of the clay warriors. The find immediately aroused unprecedented interest among archaeologists, because appearance of the statue made it possible to attribute the date of its creation to the period of deep antiquity. By the beginning of the autumn of that year, archaeologists had discovered about 6,000 such warriors. The analysis showed that the time of the creation of the statues coincides with the years of life of Qin Shi Huang, whose tomb, Mount Lishan, was located near the place of "burial" terracotta warriors.

The work of Sima Qian, a hereditary historiographer of the Han Dynasty, who described the ascension to the throne in 246 BC, also helped to correlate the clay army with the founder of the Qin dynasty. e. 13-year-old Ying Zheng, known to us as Qin Shi Huang. According to the historiographer, the young ruler immediately began building his own tomb and ordered the creation of an army of clay warriors who would serve him after death.

All statues are copies of real people, retaining their facial features, uniforms, ranks, etc. The only thing that the sculptors changed was the height of the warriors, making them slightly taller than the real prototypes. The height of the statues of ordinary soldiers is approximately 180 cm, and of officers - up to 2 m, which expresses their superiority in rank. Archers, spearmen, swordsmen and even cavalry - Qin Shi Huang assembled a full-fledged army, which completely copied the real-life military formations. Commanders of all ranks, up to generals, also followed their emperor to the "other world", in the form of clay sculptures. "Civilian" statues were also found - musicians, acrobats and officials.

The vast majority of the statues were facing east. Some stand relaxed, others kneel down and, drawing their swords from their sheaths, repulse the attack. The difference in status can be determined by clothing. The officers are dressed in tunics with belts and suits similar to uniforms. Ordinary soldiers are dressed in short trousers, narrowed at the bottom, short robes, chest armor. Their shoes are common among the ancient Chinese: windings and shoes with rectangular toes. Even privates distinguish characteristic hairstyles in the form of a tight bun of hair.

The main excavations were carried out in two stages: from 1978 to 1984 and from 1985 to 1986. And in 2009, the third stage of excavations began, which continue to this day. Recent excavations have uncovered another 500 clay warriors, 100 horses and 18 bronze chariots. How much remains to be discovered is a question that remains unanswered. But why was the emperor's tomb in such a deplorable state?

After the death of Qin Shi Huang, the throne was inherited by his son, Er Shi Huang, who was weak-willed and weak. As a result of his failure as a leader, a popular uprising broke out. And the first target of the rebels was the terracotta army. The reason for this was that the cunning Ying Zheng melted down all the surplus weapons, so that simple people couldn't get it anywhere. And in the crypt, for the needs of clay warriors, an arsenal for 8,000 people was stored: swords, shields, spears and bows. As a result, the tomb was plundered, the imperial troops were defeated, and Er was killed. But the emperor’s treasures, which, according to legend, were buried with him, were never found. According to one version, the emperor was buried in a different place, and Mount Lishan is just a decoration.

In 1987, UNESCO listed the Terracotta Army as a World Heritage Site in China. Today, everyone has the opportunity to look at the terracotta warriors "live". A small town has grown up around the excavation area with cafes, souvenir shops and covered pavilions, where the terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is put on public display.

/ The Terracotta Army is a find that shocked the world

Our land is full of ancient mysteries and mysteries. Every people and every country has a history, the roots of which go far into the past. illustrative example– China. China is such an ancient country that it rich story begins many centuries before our era. And every archaeological excavation there leads to finds that stagger the imagination of mankind. One of these finds was the terracotta army.

Terracotta Army called one of the wonders of the world. She has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And US President Ronald Reagan said about her: "The great miracle that belonged to mankind." No one has seen such beauty, such strength and power underground before.

This historical heritage is located in the city of Xi'an, Shenxi Province, located in the east of China.
Terracotta Army- This is a burial of 8099 statues of warriors made of clay. The peculiarity is that all these products are made in full human growth. Chinese warriors with cavalry were buried in 210 - 209 BC with Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

How was the terracotta army found?

For centuries, the inhabitants of Xi'an constantly found pieces of clay - shards. They were afraid to pick them up, because they believed that a curse might follow. The Chinese then did not even suspect that under their feet, just a few meters underground, there was a whole layer of historical heritage.
The mystery of clay shards was discovered in 1974, when Yan Ji Wang, a man who cultivated the land, decided to dig a well on his plot near Mount Lishan. Digging only to a depth of 5 meters, the farmer stumbled upon something strange. Having examined his find, he discovered that it was the head of a warrior, made of terracotta. Archaeologists and historians were shocked by the found object. A long series of archaeological works followed.

Archaeological excavations began in 1978 and are still ongoing. Work is progressing very slowly. Firstly, in order not to damage the figures, and secondly, due to the lack of state funding. The third reason is the ancient belief that rivers of mercury should accompany the emperor to the other world, and in order not to harm the inhabitants of nearby areas and the scientists themselves, everything has to be carefully and carefully checked. So we can safely say that many more secrets lie underground at the foot of Mount Lishan.

Excavations of the clay army have been going on for 40 years. During this time, a whole city grew up on the site of the find. Many pavilions protect the army from rain, wind, which can immediately destroy shaky clay statues. Also, security guards and scientists are constantly on duty to protect the heritage from vandals.
Archaeological expeditions are divided into several stages. The first stage was from 1978 to 1984, the next stage lasted from 1985 to 1986, and the third stage, which began in 2009, continues to this day.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang ruled from 246 to 210 BC, and was one of the most cruel and bloody rulers. Qin Shi Huang is the most significant person in the history of China, and not only because he is the founder of the great Qin dynasty. The great commander was able to unite the 7 kingdoms of China, which waged a fierce war for many decades. Mass destruction and murder, high mortality, chaos and looting ended when the cruel conqueror Qin Shi Huang came to power. The Warring States Period, which lasted 250 years, is over. For the first time, the title of "emperor" was proclaimed, which rose to the level of God. China has become single state and his power was unmatched.

Also a significant imprint in history, which was left by the first emperor, is the completion of construction and strengthening of the Great Wall of China. The narcissistic emperor declared the entire previous history of China irrelevant, and destroyed all historical monuments, literature, scientists. Thus wiping out all history before the Qin Dynasty.

This historical period is famous for the fact that people sacredly believed in the afterlife. They built tombs, mausoleums, crypts, pyramids and tombs, buried their whole family, servants and army alive with them, filled their tombs with gold, wealth and decorations. In general, they did everything to provide themselves with a decent afterlife. One of the richest emperors, Qin Shi Huang, was no exception.
From the moment of ascension to the throne, and more precisely from the year 246, when the emperor was 13 years old, he actively began the construction of his tomb. Initially, to match his ambitions, Qin Shi Huang planned to bury 4,000 warriors alive with him. But due to the fact that over the past 250 years of the most brutal wars, the population of China has declined catastrophically, it would not be reasonable to bury such a number of life-hungry young people with them. Moreover, there would be a danger of a big riot.
Then, for the first time in history, the Chinese ruler came up with the idea to replace living people with clay statues.

Construction of the tomb lasted 38 years, with the efforts of 700,000 workers. They worked on the construction of the mausoleum day and night. The construction of the tomb with tombs and with all adjacent compartments in the perimeter takes 6 kilometers. The territory occupied by the famous terracotta army is 1.5 kilometers.
Together with the army, 70,000 workers with all their families were buried, as scientists think, so that no one would know the secret of the clay army. Also, 48 concubines were buried alive with the great commander. But don't get upset about them. In those days, people were happy to be buried with their owners, and it was considered a great honor.
The Terracotta Army includes more than 8,000 warriors, but this is far from the limit, as excavations are still ongoing, and their number is increasing every decade.

Each statue of a Chinese warrior is approximately 2 meters tall, which once again speaks of the emperor's desire to exalt himself, and weighs about 150 kilograms. Horses weigh 200 - 300 kilograms.
Chariots were also found in the tomb, which amaze with their wealth and luxury. Each bronze chariot consists of more than 300 parts, and is decorated with gold, silver and drawn by four horses.

Clay warriors were deployed to the east, and they stand on the eastern side of the Qin mausoleum, and all because it was on the eastern side that the emperor indulged in the most cruel conquests.
The warriors are arranged in three rows, clearly one behind the other. They stand as if they are ready to start a fight at any moment. The fighters of the terracotta army are lined up in battle order, first the infantrymen go, followed by horsemen, archers, officers and commanders. Next to them were found statues of musicians, officials, acrobats.
All warriors have different forms, different faces, outfit. The work was done so subtly and jewelry that even after 2 thousand years, we can see that each statue has its own facial expression. There is not a single warrior who would be exactly like another. Among the terracotta soldiers, one can easily see the whole multinationality of China. The Terracotta Army includes Chinese, Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols and so on.
Soldiers are dressed exactly according to the laws of that time. Clothing, hairstyle, mustache or beard, uniforms, armor are made with incredible accuracy. Even on the sole of the shoe you can see the corresponding pattern. Each terracotta soldier was equipped with real weapons. It was believed that warriors were made from life, and after death the soul of a warrior moved into a clay statue.

How exactly the soldiers of the terracotta army were made is still a mystery. One thing is clear, all the work is done by hand. Masters used perfectly different techniques. Some scientists believe that all parts of the body were performed separately, then connected, a face was cultivated from an additional layer of clay on the head, and the whole creation was sent to the oven for several days. But where did the Chinese of the first second century BC get so many stoves? After the work done, the warrior was painted. But unfortunately, for 2 thousand years underground, the paint has worn off. And those sculptures on which the remains of paint were still found, as soon as they were on fresh air how the entire coating was peeled off.

Material for the soldiers was taken from Mount Lishan. However, according to the pollen on the statues, scientists of our time were able to determine that the statues were made in different areas China.
From above, the army was protected by whole tree trunks, zinc, cement and earth.
Unfortunately, the terracotta army was defeated very quickly. Immediately after the death of Qin Shi Huang, his successor's mismanagement sparked a rebellion. The people of China needed weapons. Having broken open the crypt of the army, they burned some of the soldiers, and replaced all real weapons with bronze ones.
It is interesting that for such long period underground, the bronze weapons did not become dull and did not lose their luster, but all because they were covered with chrome. This technique was developed only in the XX century.
We can safely say that the terracotta army qualitatively performed the functions of protecting its master. Many dead vandals and robbers were found on the territory of the army, how exactly they died there is not known.

The great emperor built a whole city of the dead around his crypt. The beauty of the burial complex is not inferior to the real imperial palace. Many burials alive of people, animals, luxurious decorations, untold riches, all this was transferred to the earth along with the emperor. But to this day, unfortunately, these complexes have not survived.
Scientists of our time suggest that this terracotta army, a plundered tomb, is just a dummy of the real tomb of the emperor. Qin Shi Huang was very cunning. And according to legend, together with the great commander, they put such riches into the ground that even our imagination cannot draw. There is a possibility that the real complex has not even been found yet.

Yes, the earth is full of secrets. And perhaps someday we will find the real mausoleum of the emperor, and the terracotta army will turn out to be artifacts to divert attention. Nevertheless, the terracotta army is the heritage of mankind, a rich heritage left to us by our ancestors.
Historians believe that even two hundred years will not be enough to fully open the tomb of the emperor in Xi'an.

The Terracotta Army is the legendary clay army of China. It consists of at least eight thousand full-sized ceramic soldiers. The army was supposed to stand guard over the mausoleum of the first emperor. The discovery of the terracotta army is considered one of the major events world archeology.

Where is the terracotta army

The Terracotta Army was discovered in the northwest in 1974 and attributed to his first dynasty. The discovery of the emperor's ceramic troops shed light on the centuries-old burial rites and features of Chinese ceramic processing. In addition to the fact that the sculptures are of archaeological and artistic value, they are one of the main attractions Chinese culture. The quality of the clay warriors, as well as the scale of the army as a whole, are simply amazing.

The Terracotta Army was created in the third century BC. In 246, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, took the throne at the age of thirteen. Many achievements are attributed to the first emperor, such as: the construction of the Great Wall, the production of the first coins, the creation of a code of laws, and the unification of the Chinese provinces into a single state.

The emperor sought to perpetuate his name for posterity and ordered the construction of a necropolis in Xi'an in his honor. He designed an elaborate mausoleum that he filled with all sorts of jewels and luxury items. To protect all these riches, the emperor instructed to make special soldiers from clay so that they could protect him in the afterlife.

Despite the fact that 7,000 workers were hired to build the mausoleum, who worked on it for decades, the emperor's necropolis was never completed. Qin died in 210 BC before his tomb was completed.

Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang

For centuries, nothing was known about the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, until in 1974 a group of workers accidentally stumbled upon a large clay sculpture of a warrior while drilling a well for a well. Interested in this amazing find, archaeologists began to explore the area and as a result, thousands of similar sculptures were found.

Each sculpture in the Terracotta Army is crafted to an impressive level of detail and is a one-of-a-kind work of art. The sculptures are life-sized and differ in their height according to ranking by rank and uniform. Over time, the clay soldiers acquired grey colour, however, they were originally brightly colored, which further increased their realism and emphasized the skill of the sculptors.

In addition to eight thousand soldiers, one hundred and thirty ceramic chariots and six hundred and seventy horses were found in the necropolis. In addition, the mausoleum contained sculptures of dancers, acrobats and musicians. They are made on the same high level, which is the terracotta army.

Terracotta Army in China

In addition to clay warriors, along with the emperor, according to ancient Chinese tradition, up to seventy thousand (according to various estimates) living soldiers and workers were buried.

In addition, forty-eight of his concubines went on their last journey with Qin Shi Huang.

Today, the Qin Shi Huang Necropolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The vast majority of the terracotta soldiers remain in place, but ten figures have been removed and displayed in museums and exhibitions to allow an international audience to experience these examples of ancient Chinese culture in person.

The Terracotta Army is one of the most famous and amazing artifacts of antiquity. Sculptures to this day inspire artists to create reproductions and works based on motives.

These reimaginings prove how strong the legacy of this amazing sculptural complex is.

Source - http://azialand.ru/terrakotovaya-armiya/

To the east of Xi'an, in the province of Shaanxi, there is a military garrison of many thousands, this is a wonder of the world, known as - Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang . Underground burials include at least 8,099 terracotta statues of Chinese warriors and their horses. They were honored to be buried together with the first emperor of Qin - Qin Shi Huang in 210-209. BC

In the district of Xian, Chinese farmers have long found clay shards, but they were afraid to touch them, and even more so to pick them up, because they believed that strange shards were magical amulets and a source of various troubles. But already in 1974 everything was explained.

History of the Terracotta Army

Once a farmer Yan Ji Wang began to dig a well on his plot of land. He did not find water, but he found something else. Yan Ji Wang stumbled upon the figure of an ancient warrior at a depth of 5 meters. The find of the farmer shocked archaeologists. and subsequent excavations have shown that she is not alone. Several thousand warriors have been discovered by scientists. Terracotta soldiers have been buried in the ground for over 2,000 years since the death of the famous unifier of China, Qin Shi Huang.

Mount Lishan is a man-made Chinese necropolis. Material for terracotta warriors was taken here. The construction of the terracotta army began in 247 BC. e., more than 700,000 artisans and workers took part in their construction, and it took place, as art historians suggest, for 38 years. Qin Shi Huang was interred in 201 BC. e. According to the Chinese historian Sima Qianyu, jewelry and handicrafts were also buried with him.

The horses and warriors of the Terracotta Army in China were created in different areas. Scientists have found that the horses were made near Mount Lishan, most likely to facilitate their transportation (the weight of a horse is approximately 200 kg), the figures of warriors are much lighter, about 135 kg, but the place of their creation is still unknown.

Later, on the site of a grand find, a city arose. Three pavilions protect the terracotta funeral army from bad weather and vandalism. Excavations of the terracotta hordes have been going on for about 40 years, but their end is not expected.

Terracotta is yellow or red clay that has been fired at a constant temperature of at least 1000 degrees for several days.

Yang Ji Wang found Qin Shi Huang's first, main battle row, which contains approximately 6,000 terracotta figures. In 1980, archaeologists unearthed a second column of 2,000 statues. Later, in 1994, the General Staff was discovered - a cluster of top military commanders.

About 700,000 craftsmen were involved in the creation of the imperial army. But why did the ancient Chinese need to spend effort and money to create this grandiose composition? And what other secrets does the land of this area keep?

The protracted bloody period of the seven rival kingdoms ended with the unconditional victory of the Qin dynasty. The young and ambitious ruler Yin Ren subjugated all the kingdoms one by one. Their capitals Zhao, Han, Wei, Yin, Chun and Qi were razed to the ground. For the first time in history, China has achieved unity. Qin Shi Huang appointed himself emperor and immediately moved to reform and strengthen power. He took up the matter with the sophistication and scope inherent in a tyrant. He set himself the goal of destroying any possibility of China's fragmentation and civil strife in the future. The Chinese Empire was divided into 36 districts, each district was assigned two governors (civilian and military). The emperor tightened all standards: this concerned money, measures of length and weight, writing, construction, and even the width of the axle for carts. The standard set in the Qin kingdom served as a model. The previous history of China was declared of little relevance. In 213 BC the books and ancient chronicles of the conquered dynasties were set on fire. More than 460 scientists were subject to execution, who were suspected of disloyalty to the new imperial regime.

The emperor believed that his dynasty would rule the Empire forever and therefore tried to create attributes befitting eternity. One of the results of the imperial thought about the eternal was the Great Wall of China.

Initially, the ruler wanted to bury 4,000 young warriors with him, as the ancient Chinese tradition says, but the advisers managed to convince him not to do this. This barbaric act would inevitably lead to a riot. Then they decided to bury clay statues instead of people. But for reliability, their number was increased. Their eyes were turned to the east, where all the kingdoms that had suffered from the great tyrant were located.

The terracotta warriors were made very finely, probably their creators had an amazing diligence. Can't be found in the whole retinue identical faces because they just don't exist. They reflect the multinationality of the Chinese empire, among them one can observe not only the Chinese, but also Mongols, Uighurs, Tibetans and many others. Details of clothing and hairstyles correspond to their time. Armor and shoes are reproduced with incredible accuracy.

The only difference from real people in their growth. Their height is 1.90 - 1.95 meters. This growth of the Divine Qin army could not be. The finished sculpture was fired in kilns, with a firing temperature of 1,000 degrees. After, the artists painted them with natural colors. Slightly faded colors can still be seen today. However, after a few minutes spent in the air, the colors disappear.

Eleven passages of the main row of warriors are separated by walls. Whole tree trunks were laid on top, covered with mats and 30 cm of cement, and another 3 m of earth on top. This was done in order to protect the deceased emperor among the living. But alas, the calculation could not justify their expectations, a few years later this mighty terracotta army was defeated.

Qin Shi Huang Ding died and his son Er Shi Huang Ding, weak-willed and weak, became the ruler of the empire. His inability to manage caused a storm of indignation among the people. The revolt of the people, whom the advisers feared, nevertheless occurred and there was no one to suppress it. The first defeat went to the terracotta army.

The indignant crowd plundered and burned the army, because the rebels had nowhere to get weapons. His surplus Qin Shi Huang melted down and destroyed in order to avoid various incidents. Here, underground, there were 8,000 sets of bows, shields, spears and swords. main goal they were the rebels. Government troops were defeated. The son of the great emperor was killed by his own courtiers.

For many centuries, robbers were eager to dig up treasures, for some it cost their lives. Amazingly, the terracotta soldiers kept the spirit of their ruler as best they could. They say that human skeletons were also found among the excavations. Ancient manuscripts say that colossal treasures were buried with the divine Qin, including a golden throne. Qin Shi Huang knew how to create intrigue with his riddles. And one of the versions suggests that he was buried elsewhere, and this is just the scenery. And if so, then the scale of a true burial can only be drawn in fantasies.

Removing the figures from the ground, archaeologists were puzzled by the problem - the paint instantly (5 minutes) dried and burst. And a solution was found - after various treatments(immersion in a container with a humid microclimate, coating special composition and irradiation), warriors are exhibited in museums around the world, about 1,500 statues have now been removed. There is a museum directly at the place of discovery, the first exposition opened in 1979, but it appeared in all its glory in 1994.

Along with the Great Wall of China and the Shaolin Monastery, the Terracotta Army in China is on the list of the world's most famous landmarks. If you are lucky enough to travel around Asia, and specifically in China , then be sure to check out the Xi'an Terracotta Army Museum.

The Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in China in 1987.

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