Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army is a collection of life-size clay soldiers, horses, and chariots buried near the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor. Its figures were made in the third century BCE to guard the emperor in the afterlife.

Qin Shi Huang: The first emperor of a unified China, who ruled from 221 to 210 BCE. The army was created for his burial complex and imagined protection after death.
Qin terracotta warriors: The life-size clay infantry figures within the pits of Qin Shi Huang’s burial complex. They form the army’s largest and most varied group of figures.
Discovery of the Terracotta Army: The 1974 discovery of terracotta figures by farmers digging a well near Xi’an, China. It brought the previously unknown burial pits to archaeological attention.
Chinese afterlife beliefs: Beliefs in China concerning existence and obligations after death, varying across periods and traditions. The burial figures were intended to serve the emperor in an imagined afterlife.
Archaeology of China: The study of China’s past through excavated sites, artifacts, and material remains. The army is among the best-known archaeological discoveries associated with ancient China.
Qin dynasty: The Chinese dynasty founded by Qin Shi Huang, lasting from 221 to 206 BCE. Its centralizing state supplied the labor and organization behind the burial complex.
Qin terracotta horses: Clay horse figures made for the pits of Qin Shi Huang’s burial complex. They accompany the soldiers and reproduce the animals needed for military transport.
Excavation of the Terracotta Army: The archaeological investigation of the Terracotta Army pits and their contents. Excavation revealed the scale of the installation while leaving much of the mausoleum unexplored.
Qin military: The armed forces of the Qin state, which conquered rival states and unified China. The army’s ranks and equipment draw on the military power Qin Shi Huang commanded.
UNESCO World Heritage Convention: The 1972 international treaty establishing a framework for identifying and protecting cultural and natural heritage. The convention provides the framework for the mausoleum complex’s international heritage recognition.

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