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In 1974, Yang Zhifa, a farmer in the Linton County in the Shaanxi province of China, and his brothers were digging a well when they stumbled across several figures made of terracotta. News of this discovery led Chinese archaeologists to launch an investigation in the area.

What they found was a massive collection of sculptures meant to represent the armies of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor. These were buried along with him to protect him in the afterlife. Excavations revealed three pits that held life-sized models of around 8,000 soldiers and more than 100 chariots, and horses, all arrayed as if ready for battle. Interestingly, each soldier’s facial features and expression are different.

Individual characteristics

The figures vary in height, with the tallest being the generals. Uniform and hairstyle were based on the soldier’s rank and the part of the army he belonged to. There were two major styles: one was tying the hair into a bun on the right side and the other was plaited hair tied into a bun on top of the head. The generals wore armoured tunics and shoes with square toes. Cavalrymen had pillbox helmets and light body armour with soft shoes rounded at the toes to protect their horses. Chariot drivers got coverings for their arms and hands and also wore helmets with protection for their necks.

The soldiers were given weapons made of bronze such as swords, bows and arrows, daggers, aces, spears and others. These had been treated so that they would not rust and corrode. Even after 2000 years of being buried, these weapons are still bright and sharp. These arms were produced specifically for burial and were never used.

The variety of clothing, hairstyle, and facial features and the formations in which the soldiers have been arranged has given scholars a wealth of information about the military, socio-cultural and economic situation of that time.

How the warriors were made

Each soldier was based on real people of the time. The workers involved lived with armies to observe the soldiers. When the figures were sculpted, each body part and clothing unit was made individually. These parts were then put together and clay was applied to the head so that the hairdos, facial features and expressions could be carved for each one. Finally, the figure was baked in a kiln and painted with coloured lacquer. The project involved over 700,000 workers.

Incomplete excavation

Though this is the 50th year since the discovery was made, less than one percent of the tomb has been excavated. Sima Qian, a first century BCE historian, had recorded that streams of mercury were used to represent rivers. In 2005, 4000 samples from the burial mound tested positive for mercury. As a result, the debate about how protect the tomb and its contents and the archaeologists and workers excavating the side continues.