The Terracotta Warriors of Xian China – 2200 Years of History

Way back in 221 B.C. Qin Shi Huang declared himself the First Emperor of Qin, now known as China. When he was 13 years of age, according to historians, workers began building an army of soldiers, and an entire city, that would be buried with him when he died. His belief was that he would rule the underground city with his army in his afterlife. He died when he was 49 years of age in 210 B.C. Fast forward to 1974. Farmers were digging a well outside of Xian, China when they discovered the underground mausoleum. The discovery was astonishing. Archaeologists discovered soldiers, chariots, horses, weapons, utensils, sculptures, and more. It was one of the most significant discoveries of the 20th century. As scientists continued to explore the area, the more they discovered. Currently, they have unearthed over 8,000 soldiers in the Terracotta Army, comprised of Generals, archers, and infantrymen. The higher ranking officers are taller than the others and no two soldiers have the same face, as per Qin Shi Huang's instructions. Based on historical documents, construction of the mausoleum began in 246 B.C. and involved over 700,000 workers laboring for over 36 years. The workers included government employees, as well as private laborers and craftsmen. The figures were made of clay and painted with rich detail, although the paint has since faded away. In addition to the Terracotta Army, the tomb of the First Emperor is also located nearby, under a pyramid of earth 76 meters tall. Scientists have not opened the tomb for fear of damaging the contents. The First Emperor created a massive underground city and many believe that there is much more to discover in the area. You can view the Terracotta Army in Xian, China, even while work continues at the excavation sites. Workers are still uncovering figures and piecing them together while crowds of people walk around the viewing platform. The Museum itself has 3 main pits, as well as separate buildings with various displays of interest. The Terracotta Warriors of Xian China – 2200 Years of History is a post from: Traveling China from Traveling China http://www.chinaya.org

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 701390