Farmers digging a well in a field outside the city of Xian,
China uncovered the first piece of evidence that led to one of the largest archaeological
discoveries in the world. It was March, 1974, and the seven workers had dug 13
feet in their attempts to find water when their shovels hit a hard object. They
brought up a head from a life-sized soldier made of terracotta, a type of clay
sculpture material.
The farmers kept digging and found pieces of several
sculpted soldiers. Giving up on trying to find water, the workers notified
Chinese government officials about the discovery. They brought in scientists
and archaeologists who began a painstakingly slow process of uncovering
thousands of similar soldiers lined up in formation underneath the ground, all
facing east.
Crowned King at 13 Years Old
Chinese government officials immediately recognized what the
farmers found. It was part of a huge, elaborate mausoleum dedicated to the
first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Pronounced “chin shuh hwang,” his named
translated to King of the State of Qin. He became king in 246 B.C. at 13 years
old. The country of China was named after his family name Qin.
He died in 210 B.C. after uniting six waring kingdoms into
one powerful nation. Qin ordered the
construction of the gigantic burial complex to honor his memory. The terracotta
soldiers were placed in underground chambers surrounding the emperor’s tomb to
guard him in his travel to the afterlife. They faced east to prevent the
kingdoms he conquered in the eastern part of China from rising up and destroying
his burial site.
Burial Mound Center of Mausoleum Complex
Historians knew for hundreds of years that Qin’s mausoleum
existed underneath a large mound or hill in the area where the farmers dug.
However, the existence of thousands of terracotta statues surrounding the
burial mound wasn’t known until the local farmers found the first one in 1974.
The burial complex
consisted of the emperor’s tomb and three separate groups of terracotta foot
soldiers, archers armed with crossbows and a group of 86 commanders. The complex
including the tomb and buried soldiers covered an area compared to the size of
Manhattan, N.Y.
Different Face Put on Each Soldier
The first chamber contained more than 6,000 terracotta
figures made to look like infantrymen. An estimated 3,000 more still remain buried.
Each soldier had a unique face and a uniform of armor. Details go all the way
to the statues’ sandals that have tread on the soles, indicating that each
figure was hand-made. Clay molds found with the figures show that basic pieces
of the figures such as skulls, arms and legs were cast. The faces and clothes,
however, had to be created individually. Each soldier weighed more than 300
pounds.
At the time of his death, Qin’s burial complex took artists
and architects 36 years to complete. Each unique statue took 30 days or more to
complete. Hundreds of craftsmen worked on the project.
Qin’s
Army Dominated with Cross-bows
Another room or chamber holds warriors armed with crossbows.
That was a powerful weapon unique to Qin’s army. Mounted warriors used the
cross-bow to massacre soldiers of other kingdoms that resisted being conquered
by Qin’s army. Life-sized horses and chariots all made of terracotta were found
among the warriors. A group of 86 ornate statues representing the commanders of
the army were placed together inside a third area.
Historians believe that a step pyramid covered the top of
the actual location of emperor’s body. Written records from famed historian
Sima Qian reveal that the interior of the pyramid contained thousands of jewels
and pearls used to simulate the sky inside the structure. Sima wrote about Qin
in the first century B.C. His account of the valuable gems and gold used inside
the ceiling of the pyramid indicated that the value of the treasure in the tomb
was priceless.
The emperor’s tomb was never opened by archeologists and it
remained untouched by grave robbers because of the fear of deadly contamination
and booby traps. The tomb builders installed hidden crossbows that would be triggered
in the passageways to kill intruders, according to the ancient records.
Poisoning from high levels of mercury found in the soil of the funeral mound
offered another deterrent to intruders, although that was unintentional. Another
reason the treasures of Qin’s tomb remained undisturbed came from the Chinese
government that wouldn’t let the resting place of the first emperor be violated
by the excavating work of archeologists.
Qin’s Quest for Immortality Caused his Mortality
Ingesting mercury was considered a way of extending one’s
life, according to the ancient Chinese. Qin took mercury pills regularly
because he believed that would help him achieve immortality. He slowly poisoned
himself and died at 49 years old because of the mercury he hoped would extend
his life. Near the end of his life his behavior was irrational, and he showed
signs of paranoia from the poison he voluntarily ate daily. No documentation
describes his last days, but he must have suffered extreme pain as the mercury
invaded his system.
Inside the tomb, Qin had a stream or river of mercury placed
around his burial chamber, because he believed in the element’s magical powers.
Sima wrote about the river or moat of mercury. Soil samples showed life-threatening
levels of mercury. Scientists knew any digging in that soil would be very
dangerous.
Great Achievements Offset by Tyranny, Cruelty
Qin showed great leadership in uniting the six kingdoms of
the country that became China. The kingdoms had been warring among themselves
for 200 years until he conquered all of them in 221 B.C. Some kingdoms accepted
his rule willingly. The areas that resisted were conquered by bloody battles
that resulted in the women and children being slaughtered as well as their
warriors. He made himself the first emperor in the 25
th year of his
reign.
He also established a common language and currency among the
newly united areas. By his decree the country began using the same types of
weights and measurements, and more than 5,000 miles of roads were constructed.
Qin started an early version of The Great Wall of China in the far northern
part of the continent.
In contrast to his benevolent acts to improve the societies
of the different kingdoms, Qin was a tyrant and a murderer on a large scale. More
than 1 million people were killed by his army that traveled from the eastern side
of China to the western border as they forced the warring kingdoms to submit to
his rule. Warriors of the neighboring
cities often outnumbered Qin’s army, but his soldiers devastated their enemies
with their superior tactics and weapons.
Qin tolerated no one who opposed him. He ordered the killing
of hundreds of scholars who disagreed with him. His preferred methods of execution were
beheading and burying victims alive. He had any books burned if they contained
criticisms of his reign. He was obsessed with trying to live forever, and he killed
480 doctors and scientists who failed to find a method to give him immortality.
Tomb was Another Route for Immortality
The emperor knew his search for immortality was a long shot
since no one had achieved it. He started the decades-long construction of his
tomb so that when he died he would find everlasting life in the afterworld. The
great treasures were put there for his use after death. The terracotta
soldiers, he thought, would be his guardians forever.
To ensure his worldly pleasures and companionships, he had
his dozens of concubines buried alive in his tomb at the time of his death. His
close advisors were left inside the tomb when it was sealed. Also left alive
inside the tomb were hundreds of artists and construction supervisors so that
the secrets of the burial chamber would remain secret.
Future Excavations Likely
Archeologists agree that the dangers in opening Qin’s tomb
will be overcome as future excavating methods improve. Since the initial
findings of the terracotta soldiers in 1974, digging techniques have already
improved in uncovering more of the buried soldiers. The bright paint used on
the statues would flake off when the soldiers were opened to the atmosphere.
Newer techniques now allow the lacquered colors of the soldiers and artifacts
to remain original.
Thank you for reading about the terracotta soldiers. Come
back to this space later this month to read another interesting blog. Check
wwwjoevlatino.com to read my web site.
Celebrations for Labor Day have changed since it began 121
years ago. Parades, especially in large industrial cities, aren’t as common as
during the first several years of the holiday. It’s become a more
family-orientated holiday with people looking to squeeze a last bit of fun away
from work and school. 
