It was a vast world under covered by some inches of earth, mud and the debris that accumulate with the past of the centuries. But some day, a terracotta head comes out of nothing and a vast army comes to life giving the world the biggest terracotta museum ever discovered.
It was in China, on the mid 70's, near the city of Xi'an.
The artifacts belonged to a vast man-made army meant to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di, the third-century-B.C. leader whose dynasty, Qin (pronounced CHIN), likely gave the country its modern name.
When the emperor was buried, more than 2,000 years ago, he took a legion of brave terracotta warriors with him, in order to assure that he'd rest in peace.
It was in China, on the mid 70's, near the city of Xi'an.
The artifacts belonged to a vast man-made army meant to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di, the third-century-B.C. leader whose dynasty, Qin (pronounced CHIN), likely gave the country its modern name.
When the emperor was buried, more than 2,000 years ago, he took a legion of brave terracotta warriors with him, in order to assure that he'd rest in peace.
The magnificent statues were brightly painted and 2.000 years after it's amazing that so much of the color has survived on the figures.
Along with the warrior statues, archaeologists found terracotta horses, chariots, weaponry and drums as well as the clay army's first known shield—proof of the equipment real-life soldiers would have carried.
These terracotta troops represent Qin Shi Huang Di's main army, which he sent out from his home state to conquer his warring neighbors and create a unified empire.
By including the terracotta warriors in his cemetery, the emperor hoped to allow his spirit to "take up his proper position in the other world, which in many ways was seen as a perfect image of this one," said Stanford's Dien.
These terracotta troops represent Qin Shi Huang Di's main army, which he sent out from his home state to conquer his warring neighbors and create a unified empire.
By including the terracotta warriors in his cemetery, the emperor hoped to allow his spirit to "take up his proper position in the other world, which in many ways was seen as a perfect image of this one," said Stanford's Dien.
See National Geographic magazine pictures: "Terra-Cotta Warriors in Color."
Illustration by Pure Rendering GmbH, National Geographic - from here
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