Terracotta Army - history, museum. Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Cinema and shopping areas

The Terracotta Army is the legendary clay army of China. It consists of at least eight thousand full-sized ceramic soldiers. The army was supposed to stand guard over the mausoleum of the first emperor. The discovery of the Terracotta Army is considered one of major events world archeology.

Where is the Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army was discovered in the northwest in 1974 and attributed to its first dynasty. The discovery of the emperor's ceramic army shed light on centuries-old funeral rites and the peculiarities of Chinese ceramic processing. In addition to being of archaeological and artistic value, the sculptures are one of the main attractions of Chinese culture. The quality of the clay warriors, as well as the scale of the army as a whole, is simply amazing.

The Terracotta Army was created in the third century BC. In 246, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, took the throne at the age of thirteen. The first emperor is credited with many achievements, such as: building the Great Wall, making the first coins, creating a code of laws and unifying the Chinese provinces into a single state.

The emperor sought to perpetuate his name for posterity and ordered the construction of a necropolis in Xi'an in his honor. He designed an elaborate mausoleum, which he filled with all sorts of jewelry and luxury items. To guard all these riches, the emperor ordered special soldiers to be made from clay so that they could protect him in the afterlife.

Despite the fact that 7,000 workers were hired to build the mausoleum and worked on it for decades, the emperor's necropolis was never completed. Qin died in 210 BC before the construction of his tomb was completed.

Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang

For centuries, nothing was known about the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang until in 1974, a group of workers accidentally stumbled upon a large clay sculpture of a warrior while drilling a well. Interested in this amazing find, archaeologists began to explore the area and as a result, thousands of similar sculptures were found.

Each Terracotta Army sculpture is crafted with an impressive level of detail and is a one-of-a-kind work of art. The sculptures are life-size and vary in height according to rank and uniform. Over time, the clay soldiers acquired a gray color, but they were originally brightly colored, which further increased their realism and emphasized the skill of the sculptors.

In addition to eight thousand soldiers, one hundred and thirty ceramic chariots and six hundred and seventy horses were discovered in the necropolis. In addition, the mausoleum contained sculptures of dancers, acrobats and musicians. They are made to the same high level as the Terracotta Army.

Terracotta Army in China

In addition to the clay warriors, along with the emperor, according to ancient Chinese tradition, up to seventy thousand (according to various estimates) living soldiers and workers were buried.

In addition, forty-eight of his concubines also went on their final journey with Qin Shi Huang.

Today the necropolis of Qin Shi Huang is an object world heritage UNESCO.

The vast majority of the Terracotta Soldiers remain in place, but ten figures have been removed and displayed in museums and exhibitions to allow an international audience to experience these examples of ancient Chinese culture first-hand.

The Terracotta Army is one of the most famous and amazing artifacts of antiquity. The sculptures still inspire artists to create reproductions and works based on them.

These reinterpretations prove the strong legacy of this stunning sculptural complex.

U different countries and peoples there are many secrets and mysteries, the roots of which go back to the distant past. Archaeological excavations sometimes reveal such amazing finds that change the understanding of history. One of these finds was the Terracotta Army. It’s not for nothing that some historians unofficially call it the 8th wonder of the world.

A little background

Among the population of Ancient China, there was a belief that what was buried with the deceased would definitely be used by him in the other world. This belief extended not only to everyday objects, but also to people. So, in the event of the death of a ruler, a close retinue (wives and concubines, personal guards, assistants, service personnel, etc.) was sent to the next world for him.

In the 5th century BC e. A new milestone in history began in China when, after continuous wars for 250 years, Emperor Qin Shi Huang managed to unite the warring kingdoms into a single powerful empire. In addition, he managed to create a unified judicial system for the country and unite cities with a network of roads.

Interesting fact! It was on the initiative of Qin Shi Huang that the construction of the Great Wall of China began, which was intended to protect the country from attacks by northern barbarian tribes.

But due to the wars, the country’s population decreased significantly, so sending healthy living people to the other world along with the ruler was no longer considered practical: talented specialists were needed in this life. The cruel tradition has practically become obsolete, but the beliefs of Ancient China about the afterlife have not disappeared. Qin Shi Huang wanted to maintain his power after death, so he ordered the creation of a terracotta army for defense. She was buried with the emperor in 210-209 BC. e. The creation of the incredible size of the mausoleum began immediately after Shi Huangdi’s accession to the throne, lasted only about 38 years and cost the lives of almost 70,000 builders and workers.

History of discovery

A severe drought in 1974 prompted the peasants of the city of Xi'an to dig deeper wells in search of water. But instead of life-giving moisture, they found some clay fragments, which later turned out to be elements of one of greatest discoveries XX century. In world history, its value is equal to the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings.

Archaeologists were invited to the site of the find and carefully began excavations. Researchers knew about the existence of the Terracotta Army as such thanks to reports of ancient historians (in particular, Sima Qian) and guessed that it should be located in the area of ​​​​the city of Xi'an. It was this city that was the imperial capital during the reign of the emperor. Later, not far from the once planned well, the tomb itself was later discovered.

At the excavation site, archaeologists encountered a peculiar tragedy. The fact is that the soldiers were initially covered with a special varnish and bright paint, which was preserved on individual figures due to storage in damp soil. But as soon as they were taken out into the air, the remaining paint disappeared literally before our eyes from contact with oxygen. Not a single brightly painted statue has survived to this day.

A total of 3 pits were found, located at a short distance from each other. The first, the largest and deepest, had an area of ​​229x61 m. The most large number archers, infantry and chariots. In the second pit they found only 100 soldiers, and in the third, the smallest, only 68, who, according to assumptions, were representatives of the command headquarters.

Army size

Archaeologists discovered in the mausoleum 130 chariots drawn by 520 horses, 150 figures of horses for cavalrymen. But as for the number of infantry soldiers of the Terracotta Army, it is impossible to say with certainty how many have been discovered. According to various sources, the number ranges from 8,000 to 8,200 statues. This variation is due to different counting rules. Not all of them have been preserved intact, so sometimes disagreements arise about how to take into account damaged soldiers, for example, with a missing head.

The uniqueness of the find

All warriors are made to life size. The weight of the figures is about 100 kg, height is 1.8-1.9 m. Moreover, each of them has individual facial features. It is believed that they were copied from real people, so no two identical figures can be found among them. There are not only Chinese here, but also Mongols, Tibetans, Uighurs and representatives of other nations. Details of uniforms, hairstyles, and clothing are conveyed with extreme precision. Even the shoe soles have the corresponding patterns recreated.

The Terracotta Warriors are located on the east side of Qin Shi Huang's tomb. They are turned to face the east, since it was from the eastern side, according to history, that the most brutal raids on the empire most often occurred. They represent a full-fledged army, built in full combat readiness, with generals and officers. There are ordinary soldiers of different military specialties: infantrymen, archers, cavalrymen, crossbowmen, who are depicted in a wide variety of poses.

Although the figures were made of clay, they had real weapons: swords, crossbows, spears, shields. Unfortunately, only a small amount of it has survived to this day, and the bulk was stolen by looters in ancient times. But even these remains gave historians a lot of new knowledge about military equipment those times and reasons for surprise. Consider the fact that arrowheads made in different regions of China were almost the same size. This suggests that already in the 3rd century. BC e. here they adhered to uniform standards in the development of weapons.

During the excavations, not only figures of soldiers were found, but also scribes, statesmen, musicians, circus performers, strongmen. This suggests that in the next world the emperor sought not only to preserve the apparatus of officials, but also to provide himself with an “entertainment program.”

How warriors were made

The technology for making figures deserves special attention. Each warrior was made in parts in different regions of the country, which facilitated not only their production, but also transportation. The material for their manufacture was terracotta - colored baked clay.

The arms, body, legs and head, sculpted separately, were then assembled into a complete composition, with the lower part being monolithic itself to ensure the stability of the figures. A special stamp was placed on all parts, by which it was possible to determine the place of its manufacture and, in case of defects, to punish the perpetrators. Judging by the fact that 87 such seals were found, at least 87 craftsmen worked on the creation of the terracotta Chinese army. Each of them had at least 10 apprentices at his disposal.

Another interesting detail concerns the temperature regime. With large temperature differences, it is impossible to ensure high-quality drying and sufficient strength of the clay. Modern craftsmen use air heaters to maintain the necessary conditions. But in Ancient China, naturally, there were no such devices, and the temperature ranged throughout the year from +30°C to -10°C. In this regard, the craftsmen decided to make statues in caves, where it was constantly about 20-25°C. In such conditions, the clay could dry evenly, and the statues received the necessary strength, and then presumably were fired in ovens, the slightest traces of which have not yet been found.

Museum location

Today, almost anyone can see the Terracotta Army in the museum. Most of the soldiers remained in the places where they were discovered at one time by archaeologists. If you look at the map, the excavation site is located about 10 km from Xi'an - large city with a population of about 8.5 million people. It is usually reached by train, car or plane from Shanghai or Beijing, but some tourists prefer to fly directly into Xi'an, from where they can take a bus to their destination.

The museum itself also remains a springboard for excavations. It was built between 1979 and 1994 and today consists of three exhibition halls with a total area of ​​approximately 190,000 km². There is also a panoramic cinema where a 20-minute film about the creation of the army is continuously shown and one of the most interesting finds of the tomb is bronze chariots with four horses, which were intended to transport the emperor in the Kingdom of the Dead. They are created from more than 3000 parts and can be considered a real work of art with images of dragons, tigers and the phoenix bird.

Here you can also see the peasant who first discovered the find, get an autograph and even a souvenir photo from him for a small fee. True, eyewitnesses say that a new “discoverer” periodically appears among the Terracotta Army. In the museum store you can even become the owner of a full-size copy of your favorite soldier, which will cost about $2,500.

Terracotta Army soldiers can be seen not only in the Xi'an Museum. Thus, in the National Museum of Beijing there is a permanent, but rather small exhibition - only 20 figures. In addition, there is another, traveling exhibition, which periodically appears in different cities countries. But it’s worth considering that 20 warriors in Beijing versus 8,000 figures in Xi’an are an incomparable experience.

Terracotta Warriors in China

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Rich and mysterious story China, dating back thousands of years, reveals its secrets to humanity. One of these mysteries is Terracotta Army in China, which is considered by many to be one of the eight wonders of the world.

The cruel and ambitious ruler Qin Shi Huang, known in history as the unifier of the lands, declared himself the first emperor of the Qin Empire. Many reforms aimed at establishing unconditional power are associated with it. For example, he established territorial districts, introduced uniform standardization for measuring weights and lengths, writing, construction, and even the width of the axle of carts. In an effort to strengthen power and make it eternal, even after death the emperor wanted to have a powerful army at his disposal. He ordered to bury about 4 thousand young warriors with him. And according to legend, only the inevitability of riots forced the emperor to abandon this idea. The warriors were replaced with clay figurines, and their number was doubled for reliability. The army was deployed to the East, since the ruler felt danger to the Qin Empire from this side. So together with the emperor, in 210-209. BC An entire army was buried, which numbers about 8,100 warriors, made of terracotta clay with uniforms and horses.

About the history of excavations

Where is the Terracotta Army in China?? Not far from the city of Xi'an in Shengbxi province, peasants came across many clay shards. Such finds were believed to bring bad luck. In 1974, while digging a well, farmer Yan Ji Wang discovered the first clay warrior figure. This was the beginning of a grandiose excavation.

Very soon, scientists realized that an entire army was opening up before them, which had a history of two thousand years. Excavations of this unique “dead army” have been going on for several decades, but much remains hidden, and the mystery has not been fully solved.

Terracotta Army in China located on several tiers. In 1974, the first tier was opened. The vanguard of the army numbers about 6 thousand figures of warriors. After 10 years, the second tier with 2 thousand clay warriors was opened. Another decade later, they discovered the army headquarters, which consisted of figures from the highest military leadership. A little later, statues of musicians, officials, and acrobats were revealed. Started in 2009 newest stage these grandiose excavations, which discovered more than 600 different clay statues.

Army sculptures

Legend claims that about 48 concubines and 70 thousand artisans who made the figures were buried with the emperor. Archaeologists have discovered many burials located near the main burial ground. But the most amazing discovery is an army consisting of 8 thousand infantry soldiers, archers and cavalry, which was hidden under the thickness of the earth.

Amazing terracotta warriors had their own characteristics:

• The height of the figures is from 1.78 to 2.01 m, which does not correspond to the height real people of that time.
• Leading officers are taller than ordinary soldiers.
• All army soldiers are deployed into battle formations. For example, archers stand on one knee, which eliminates possible interference with the shooting of the second row of warriors. This makes it possible to evaluate the military tactical science of that time.
• Each pose and faces of the warriors are different from each other. No two warriors are the same. This gives reason to assume that the living warriors of Emperor Qin served as the basis for the clay army.
• It is interesting that clay figurines were depicted not only by Chinese nationality. Among them there are Tibetan and Mongolian types of faces.
• The figures are reproduced with meticulous precision in detail. Clothes, hairstyles, armor, shoes - everything corresponds to that time.
• After making the sculptures, they were fired in kilns at temperatures of more than 1000 degrees. Next, all the figures were painted in natural colors, the remains of which are still partially preserved.
• The main array of warriors has 11 passages, which are separated by walls. The rows on top were covered with tree trunks, covered with mats and a 30 cm layer of cement. All this was covered with a 3-meter layer of earth.

During the excavations, archaeologists faced a difficult task. When removing the paint that covered the figures from the ground, within 5 minutes. dried out, began to burst and crumble. But the task of conservation was found. The figures were placed in a tank with a certain humidity, covered with a special solution and irradiated. Thanks to this, Terracotta Army in China was preserved in its original form. In 1987, Emperor Qin's army was designated as a UNSCO protected site.

Visiting China, along with the Great Chinese Wall and Shaolin Monastery, a must-see museum in Xi'an. A grandiose spectacle will appear before you - a huge army of ancient warriors with weapons, horsemen on chariots, skillfully sculpted by the ancient masters of China.

The Terracotta Army is rightfully considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since such a cultural monument cannot be found anywhere else. Emperor Qin Shi Huang's warriors, horses and chariots testify to his strength and power. True, it is believed that he was a very progressive ruler of his time, since according to tradition, everything most valuable was buried with the ruler, including people, and his grandiose army was only sculptures.

What does the Terracotta Army look like?

The found soldiers are located under Lishan Mountain, which looks more like a buried city with a huge number of valuable historical items. Among the sculptures there are not only soldiers, but also horses, as well as richly decorated chariots. Each person and horse is made by hand, the warriors have special, unique facial features and figures, each has their own weapons: crossbows, swords, spears. Moreover, in the ranks there are infantrymen, cavalry and officers, which can be seen in the specifics of the attire, the details of which are worked out to the smallest detail.

Many people are interested in what the entire stone army of terracotta sculptures is made of. It is made of clay, but the soldiers were brought from different regions of the country, since most of them differ in the composition of the raw materials used. The horses, according to researchers, are made from a breed taken from Mount Lishan. The reason for this is their large weight, which would significantly complicate transportation. The average weight of horses is over 200 kg, and the human figure is about 130 kg. The technology for making sculptures is the same: they were given the desired shape, then baked, covered with special glaze and paint.

The history of the great burial

There can be no doubt as to which country the warriors were found in, because in China of that period it was customary to bury alive with the deceased ruler all that was most valuable to him. It was for this reason that the first ruler of the Qin dynasty, at the age of 13, began to think about what his tomb would look like and began large-scale construction of the tomb.

His reign can be called significant for Chinese history, as he united the warring kingdoms, ending a period of cruelty, plunder and disunity. As a sign of his greatness, he destroyed all monuments dating from before his reign and burned manuscripts describing the course of early times. From 246 BC Construction of Qin Shi Huang's tomb began and was completed by 210 BC, when the emperor was placed there after his death.

According to legend, he initially planned to bury 4,000 warriors with him, but the population of the empire was already too small after many years of endless wars. It was then that he came up with the idea to place the Terracotta Army with him, while it should resemble a real army. No one knows exactly how many warriors were placed in the tomb. It is estimated that there are more than 8,000 of them, but perhaps there are many more unsolved mysteries hidden underground.

In addition to his army, the great emperor buried his concubines with him, as well as about 70,000 workers who worked on the creation of the cultural monument. The construction of the tomb lasted 38 years, both day and night, as a result of which it stretched for about one and a half kilometers, forming an entire city buried underground. Much is encrypted in the manuscripts about this place. strange facts, which may indicate new secrets that have not yet been revealed.

Exploring the Mystery of China

For many years, the residents of Xi'an walked around the hilly terrain and did not even imagine that hidden under their feet were miracles with a thousand-year history called the Terracotta Army. Clay shards were often found in this area, but according to legends they could not be touched, much less taken with them. In 1974, the tomb was discovered by Yan Ji Wang, who wanted to dig a well near Mount Lishan. At a depth of about 5 meters, the farmer came across the head of one of the soldiers. For historians and archaeologists, the discovery was a real shock and the beginning of long-term research.

The excavations took place in three stages, the last of which is still not completed. More than 400 warriors of the Terracotta Army from those who were first found were sent to museums around the world, but most remained in China, where the emperor is located, who created an amazing historical monument. At the moment, the guarded tomb is the most valuable asset of the country, because the highest-ranking guests are invited here in order to appreciate the greatness of the first king of the Qin dynasty.

Every tourist can take an excursion to the buried city. To do this, you don’t even need to know how to get there from Beijing, because most tours include a visit to the Terracotta Army. During it, you can take photos of a huge array of clay sculptures with different facial expressions, as if petrified over thousands of years.

The Terracotta Army, built over 2,000 years ago, is called the eighth wonder of the world. A huge army of almost 8,000 life-size warriors is relatively well preserved thanks to terracotta (fired clay). She sets a great example artistic skill ancient sculptors.

What does the Terracotta Army represent?

Not only infantry, but also cavalry are represented here.

But also chariots.

Excavation area

The Terracotta Army is not the whole discovery. This is only a small part of the vast mausoleum with an area of ​​about 100 square meters. km. Hundreds of underground chambers are filled with sculptures of warriors, birds, animals, acrobats, officials and musicians.

There are also graves where people and horses were buried alive. The warriors, created 2,200 years ago, are surrounded by mysterious burial mounds. The excavation of this gigantic underground complex has changed the understanding of ancient China.

The value of the Terracotta Army

Before the discovery of the Terracotta Army, we knew little about the Qin Empire, and only now we have a complete understanding of how the warriors dressed and what weapons they used. There was no knowledge because almost all writing of that time was destroyed. The oldest surviving description of the Qin Empire dates back almost 100 years after the making of the Terracotta Army. It tells the story of an oppressive empire where scientists are buried alive. However, in none ancient source no mention of the Terracotta Warriors. They spent over 2000 years in darkness and oblivion. The very fact of their existence was forgotten.

How was the Terracotta Army discovered?

In 1974, in the Chinese province of Shaanxi, a local resident, Yan, and his neighbors decided to dig a well. While digging in the ground, they came across something that they initially mistook for the edge of a pot.

And then they found bronze objects.
Then they began to come across fragments of some clay products.

Then they came across a statue - the upper part of the armor and the arm were revealed to them. At first they thought it was an ancient temple or tomb. In China, finding a grave is a bad omen. As it turned out, they made the main archaeological discovery in the last 100 years, since the find belonged to the era of the first emperor.

After some time, other fragments of terracotta were discovered - parts of legs, a body without a head, and even figures of horses. After so much time, they were simply crushed by the ground. All this once rested in three gigantic rooms.

From find to museum

A long restoration process followed, accompanied by numerous discoveries.

After this, the warriors were installed in the main hall. Today there are over 1,100 sculptures. But this is only a part of the 6,000 soldiers who were buried here. Over 1000 more soldiers stood in the second and third halls.

The museum director claims that new discoveries are constantly being made. Excavations are being carried out at five sites. In 2009, new excavations began in the main hall. Hundreds of terracotta actors and acrobats have been discovered.

In addition to the broken statues, swords, spearheads and arrowheads were discovered.

What do we know about the creation of the Terracotta Army?

All this was done in 37 years, exactly the same period as Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor and founder of the Qin dynasty, ruled. He became ruler in 246 BC. e. Most likely, it was then that work on this mausoleum began. And this is surprising - after all, for 200 years, the kingdom of Qin waged continuous wars with six neighboring states.

The first emperor defeated them and became the ruler of a state where millions of inhabitants lived. This power was comparable in size to the Roman Empire. He introduced a unified judicial system and currency throughout China, connected cities with a network of roads, and completed the construction of the first one (not to be confused with the wall, built less than 500 years ago). The state that we call China today owes its existence to the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

The Chinese naturally have a hard time coming to terms with the idea that he was a cruel tyrant under whose rule hundreds of thousands of people died. Sima Qian, a writer and historian of the time, describes some of these atrocities - the mass extermination of prisoners of war, the burning of books, and the death penalty for criticism. On the other hand, he united China - various states with different languages were held together by force into a single whole.

The construction of a tomb of unprecedented size was to be the emperor's greatest achievement. Research shows that the territory of the mausoleum is larger than originally thought. Since the opening of the main hall, the excavation area has grown greatly. Today they are carried out on an area of ​​over 50 square meters. km.

In the very center of this territory, the emperor ordered a tomb to be erected for himself.
Judging by the chronicles (due to the high concentration of mercury, excavations were not carried out in the tomb), it was located under a mound, the height of which reached 115 m.

Beneath it, in the center of a huge tomb, stood a bronze coffin containing the body of the emperor, who supposedly died from the mercury he took to achieve immortality.

On the floor is a map of rivers and seas, where mercury played the role of water.

The ceiling is decorated with images of celestial bodies.

There is also a model of the relief of China.

The Emperor believed that he could take all this with him into the afterlife. Death is just rebirth, says the famous proverb. All these people, animals and objects were supposed to serve the emperor after death.

The Emperor rests in the very center of a huge complex, in the same luxury to which he was accustomed in life.

Hundreds of horse graves have also been discovered. Scientists have counted about 600 of them. There are also statues of musicians, acrobats, weightlifters, as well as scientists and scribes. This is not a simple burial place - this is the pleasure palace of the emperor. His spirit could even travel on two chariots. Each was drawn by four bronze horses, richly decorated with harnesses. To protect himself, he ordered the Terracotta Army to be placed on the eastern side, as a barrier between the tomb and the conquered states.

In ancient times, it was believed that the spirits of the emperor's countless victims would seek retribution in the afterlife. The safety of the emperor's spirit was to be ensured by the terracotta warriors buried with their master.

How was the Terracotta Army created?

Viewing the damaged statues sheds some light on their creation. Each of them was sculpted by hand by craftsmen. From their debris and fragments one can see how the torso sculptors applied the clay layer by layer.

In this photo you can see the marks - the master straightened his fingers and began to level the clay. On average, each warrior weighs about 200 kg.

The arms, hands and legs were cast. For the legs, molds intended for the production of pipes were used. This resulted in many different legs and arms, which were combined to achieve variety. The empty mold was filled with clay, covered and left to dry before firing.

A thorough examination convinced scientists that all the faces of the statues were different. Some warriors have light skin, others darker.

Facial hair varies.

They also differ in the shape of their eyes.

Hairstyles are also infinitely different.

There is no doubt that all this is strictly individual. But aren't there repetitions? The shape of the human ear is as unique and unique as fingerprints.

Research has shown that the shapes of the ears of terracotta warriors are different, so warriors differ from each other in the same way as other people. Apparently, the emperor wanted his peace to be guarded by a real army. However, only the most skilled sculptors could give individuality to so many warriors.

This is how warriors were patiently and manually sculpted over 2000 years ago. It took approximately 3 days to make one warrior.

Over the years of careful restoration, museumization and study, scientists have come to the conclusion that at the time of its creation, the Terracotta Army did not look the same as it does today. Faded traces of dyes were found on the clay bodies, hands and heads. This indicates that the warriors were once brightly colored.

This is roughly what they looked like 2200 years ago. Shining rows of war chariots and painted statues in full armor.

Even today, terracotta warriors look terrifying, and once they were terrifying. How were they armed - with real weapons or fake ones (dummy)? The wooden elements have rotted. All that remained were the metal remains of the warriors' weapons.

How were they produced and used?

Scientists conducted an examination which showed that the weapon had been sharpened. Even now it looks quite sharp. This means that mass sharpening of weapons using machine methods was carried out during the Qin Dynasty.

Weapons of the Terracotta Army

The blade of the weapon of the terracotta warriors in an enlarged view.

Only one tool could have left such smooth marks - a whetstone, on which metal blades are sharpened. There are no nicks or large scratches on the blades - this means that these weapons, most likely, were never used, i.e., they were created specifically for the Terracotta Army.

Terracotta warriors stand in strict battle formation.

In the center are infantry armed with massive halberds. In ancient China, this weapon was practically indispensable in battle and was successfully used even against cavalry.

Along with the pike and halberd, ancient Chinese troops used a wide range of weapons, including spears and longswords. But there was one type of weapon in the use of which the Chinese had no equal - bows. Written sources indicate that they invented the crossbow long before the creation of the Qin Empire. It became the perfect weapon of its era.

The original crossbows were not preserved; all that remained were bronze parts found on the floor. This is a working copy. They took place in the center of the infantry for their protection.

Arrowheads are of great importance - more than 40 thousand of them were discovered in excavations. Scientists have found that they consist of bronze - an artificial alloy of copper and tin. It would be more logical to assume that the tips are made from a single piece of bronze. But there is more tin in the tip than in the handle, so that it does not break upon impact. The higher the tin content, the stronger the tip. The presence of a connection between two alloys indicates high level professionalism of ancient masters.

Who created the Terracotta Army?

The terrible secret of the construction of the tomb was revealed by a discovery at the far western border of the underground complex. Many graves of workers who died from overwork were discovered here. Next to each skeleton lay a clay tablet with the name of the deceased.

Here is an example of a typical worker's sign. He borrowed money from the state and was unable to repay the debt on time, and then he came to work at a construction site, and as a result, he found his death.
The Qin Empire itself was created through forced labor.

Scientists were able to understand the conditions of labor organization and control over workers:

1. Different teams of workers worked on the production of weapons.

2. There was quality control, that is, a mark was placed on the product about the workers who made the product. If it turned out to be of poor quality, then the workers would face punishment.
Over 450 inscriptions on the warrior figures confirm that the workers were divided into brigades. The names of over 90 foremen have been preserved, each of whom supervised 10 foremen. They were recruited from palace and private workshops.

About control

In the Qin Empire, not only theft and murder were considered a crime, but also unprofessional work. Failure to meet the high quality standards was punished instantly and mercilessly: those responsible were tortured and mutilated, and some were executed. This system was called “legism” and it was terrible. The historiographer Sima Qian described a society where fear reigned, and it was divided into small cells, where everyone watched everyone else, and responsibility was collective. Every 5-10 houses formed their own cell. All residents without exception were punished for failure to report. This system came from the army and was applied on a state scale, that is, artisans and blacksmiths in the empire were subject to its laws.

Criticism

There is a version that the Terracotta Army is not real. That is, the Chinese allegedly faked this army to attract tourists. But this version is implausible, because:

1. Back in 1987, the army was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can't just get on this list.

2. The discovery was made in 1974, during the regime of Mao Zedong. At that time there was no market economy, tourism and other benefits of modern civilization. Accordingly, there was no point in faking anything.

3. Terracotta warriors are constantly being studied by various scientists and archaeologists from different countries. The fake would have been discovered sooner or later.

Museum

The Terracotta Army Museum was built from 1979 to 1994. at the moment there are three exhibition halls with a total area of ​​about 190,000 sq.m.
There are two types of museum visitors. Some see beauty in details - they can approach one warrior and admire for a long time the expression on his face, as if alive, or his hairstyle. Others are amazed by the scale of the structure and its secrets. Therefore, if possible, we recommend visiting this place.