Terra Cotta Pit No.1 was discovered by local villagers in March 1974 who were drilling for wells on a piece of barren land. They found fragments of terracotta warriors and many bronze weapons. These discoveries received much attention and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage sent a team of archaeologists and conservation experts to perform a site visit, and organized Shaanxi archaeologists to perform a full-scale excavation of the site.
In order to protect the find, a large arched hall with a steel frame was built above the pit in 1976. Covering an area of 19,136 square yards, the hall has provided the pit with good ventilation and daylight conditions. In addition, it is burglarproof and fireproof and has temperature and humidity monitoring systems.
Inside the hall, Terra Cotta Pit No.1 is an east-west rectangular pit, measuring 252 yards long, 68 yards wide and 16 feet deep. There are five sloping entrances on both the eastern and western sides. Two side doors are installed on the northern and southern sides. Every three yards, there is a puddle wall, which separates the underground army into different columns. The walls were fortified with wooden columns, earth and reeds while the floor was covered with black bricks. Visitors to the pit will notice that the walls are lower than the terracotta warriors. This is due to a flood in Pit 1 which caused the walls to partially collapse.
There are over 6,000 terra cotta warriors and horses in Pit 1, of which 1,000 have been unearthed. They are marshaled into a well-organized battle array composed of the infantry and cavalry. The vanguard includes 210 foot soldiers divided equally into three lines. The cavalry and war chariot follow close in line, forming the main body of the battle formation. The foot soldiers are alternated with the chariots drawn by horses, lined into 38 columns. On both the northern and southern sides of the war formation stand 180 warriors which serve as flank guards. The rear guards are on the western end, with two lines facing east and another facing west. Some soldiers are armed with battle robe, and some are equipped with armor.
Related Links:
Emperor Qin Shi HuangMausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi HuangTerra-Cotta Warriors Pit 1 Pictures
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Travelers' Voices on Terracotta Warriors Pit 1
1.
Jun. 26,2009 22:55 Reply
Ms.Nat(USA ) said:
I'm looking forward to going to China and visiting the Terra Cotta pit! From the pictures I've seen and the things I've heard and read about it makes it sound really cool!
2.
Apr. 6,2009 10:26 Reply
Mr.R. Sng(Singapore) said:
The emperor is still inside his mausoleum, its said to be protected by crossbows and various traps. Lots say they are still working, even today.
Its said to be very beautiful inside with rivers running with mercury and a miniature recreation of the all the known parts of China then inside. Like a world within a world. He is still so revered and feared so much so that the folks in China leave it alone.
A recent documentary about it revealed scans on the mound where his mausoleum is said to be found indeed lots of mercury in the ground below, forming a rough shape where the centre is said to be his coffin.
The warriors are all made of clay, bodies are the same size/dimensions being made from a common mould. The heads and some parts of their armour are individually done and then mounted on top. The armour and rest of the torso features are sculpted on.
It was said that all were originally coloured with very beautiful, brilliant colours(lead paint) but exposure to the sun by the inexperienced folks in China led to the immediate oxidation and leaves us with the bland colours we see today.
There are scholars who belive that the original Qin folks spoke a language that is linguistically very similar to the Min language/dialect that is still spoken by the Hokkien(Fujian) or those in Taiwan.
Its sad that Xiangyu was too destructive and robbed plus burned parts of the tomb. Luckily a very nice collection remains, kneeling archers(crossbowmen), men with polearms(dagger axe), a whole army of various types of units.
All waiting, waiting for their emperor.
Jun. 25,2009 04:42
Ms.kiki(hk) replied:
The tomb of the emperor is surrounded by rivers and seas of flowing mercury!
3.
Apr. 15,2009 14:42 Reply
Mr.Sheperd(England) said:
Wow its amazing that so many people stayed alive all those years underground were they just sleeping?
Jun. 25,2009 04:40
Ms.kiki(hk) replied:
guess what! The emporer buried the artchitets who desighned this!
4.
Jan. 23,2009 12:00 Reply
Mr.lee(USA) said:
Terra cotta warriors RULE they rock i realy want to vist them in person. I wonder were the emporor is????
Mar. 2,2009 15:37
Ms.green girl(us) replied:
you wonder were it is itis in the middle of the the terraotta army
May. 22,2009 03:00
Mr.BAMBIE!(mars) replied:
HE IS LIKE 2KM AWAY FROM THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.
Jun. 25,2009 04:38
Ms.kiki(hk) replied:
the emporer is called qin shi haung. terra cotta warriors and the emporer's tomb is seperated.
5.
May. 29,2009 09:18 Reply
Mr.Messing A. Round(Canadia) said:
I don't know when they were built, but I do know why. They were built because shi huangdi was a warmonger and he had many enemies which were waiting for him in the afterlife. So, when the time came he built warriors to protect him.
Jun. 25,2009 04:36
Ms.kiki(hk) replied:
these wonderful discoveries was built on 220bc. and youre right about the reason of why qin shi haung built this monument which some people say this the the eighth discovery
6.
May. 22,2009 19:55 Reply
Ms.Alexis(U.S.A.) said:
I know that 12 of the terra-cotta soilders are coming to the U.S.A.
to HOUSTON in The muessum of natrul history and i'm going to see them.
COOL...By the way i know where the emporer is,his tomb is hidden in the
bottom of a mountain in the middle of where all the artifacts were found
and i know cuz i saw it in the Discovery Channel.OKAY..........
7.
May. 15,2009 02:52 Reply
Ms.poo(australia) said:
I think that this site is really good and It has very good information about terracotta warriors.
8.
Apr. 21,2009 12:48 Reply
Ms.Kimmer(USA) said:
There are two of these soldiers at the entrance to an estate on Martha's Vineyard. I was told that only eight statues have been allowed to leave China. Somehow, a wealthy man was able to get two of them on to his estate on Martha's Vineyard. They are very near a public road and easy to bees seen by the public. I just saw them this week. Very cool!
9.
Mar. 15,2009 20:11 Reply
Ms.CC Yong(Singapore) said:
I think that the Qin emperor was very cruel and crazy as he thought that the terra cotta warriors could protect him in the after life,but he let others know about the Qin dynasty.
Mar. 16,2009 23:02
Ms.ECH(Australia) replied:
I wouldn't say crazy, everyone believed that what they were buried with them was what they took into the after life... hence egyptians buried with jewels.
Apr. 6,2009 10:28
Mr.R. Sng(Singapore) replied:
Its part of the ancient thoughts and the hold on life that they seek to maintain. Just like what the Chinese taoists/buddhists still do today where they burn paper effigies of maids, cars and houses etc.
In the past before paper was invented, many types of materials such as clay and terracotta was the preferred choice. He actually didn't want to die and use this tomb at all.
10.
Mar. 6,2009 09:34 Reply
Mr.JJ(USA) said:
When were they built?
Mar. 7,2009 02:23
Mr.Hello(UK) replied:
In the Qin Dynasty.
Mar. 9,2009 09:25
Mrs.bambie(pa) replied:
wow those are a lot of warriors! how lond did it take to biuld them all? where and when were they built? and who built them?
Mar. 15,2009 12:19
Mr.hohoho(mars) replied:
in the qin dynasty