General Information

During the ancient times, the Chinese city of Xi'an served as the capital for eleven ruling dynasties. Therefore, it was also here that many of the emperors had their majestic mausoleums constructed. Among the more impressive sites is the tomb of King Zheng. This emperor is known for his demolition the many dissident groups of 221 BC in order to unite China under his rule, bringing an end to nearly two and a half centuries of continuous conflict. This era is known as the Period of the Warring States in Chinese History. Soon after his triumph, Zheng proclaimed himself as the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, a period of cruel dictatorship that only lasted for three years after his death in 210 BC.

The First Emperor’s tomb was built approximately 24-km east of today’s Xi’an by more than 700,000 labourers and craftsman. The site that was chosen is in the beautiful countryside on the north bank of the Wei River near Mount Lishban. Deep underground, the workmen built an extravagant palace that was packed with treasures and fitted with ingenious mechanisms to foil grave robbers. Around the area, two concentric walls were built- a square inner barrier and a rectangular outer perimeter. On completion, thousands of workers were buried alive in the tomb, followed by the emperor’s concubines during his burial.

Today’s Discovery

Today, an enormous mound of earth about 154 feet high, shaped like a pyramid and covered with trees, marks the site. However, the tomb was only the beginning of the marvels the Emperor left behind for later generations.

In March 1974, farm labourers sinking a well 1.5-km east of the tomb were amazed to dig up a number of life-sized terracotta figures. When archeologists arrived to investigate further, they unearthed one of the most important archaeological treasures in Chinese history, a whole army with cavalry horses, chariots, and metal weapons, arranged in immaculate formation and frozen in time since their burial 2200 years ago.

The finds reveal the high degree of effort and skill the sculptors put into their work at the time. Although the bright coloured paint of the figures is now faded with time, they were clearly modeled to represent the Imperial Army’s different classes of officers. They also depict the minute details of military uniform, facial features, and hairstyles of the people. Each of the admirable figures was individually designed, not shaped in moulds. The hollow heads and torsos and solid legs were made separately as rough shapes that were then assembled with strips of clay. At the end, a finer layer of clay was added and details were carved.

In the years since their discovery, several huge pits have been excavated at the site. Pit 1, the first and largest, has revealed hundreds of soldiers aligned row by row. The excavation continues as the archeologists strive to repair the figures that were broken when the wooden structure in which they were placed was burned, collapsing over them.

Despite the many years that have past since the first find, the significance of the army is still unresolved. Some believe that the entire mausoleum symbolizes an ideal imperial city, the tomb inside the walls representing the emperor’s palace and soldiers outside to protect the city from attack. However, this terracotta army at the Xi’an tomb is surely one of the most amazing archaeological finds in China’s history.