Thousands of Ancient Terracotta Statues Honor China’s First Emperor

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.

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