Pit K0006 – Civil Official Figures
Discovered in 2000, Pit K0006 is one of the accessory pits of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, containing 12 pottery figures. There are 8 figures of civil officials among them, which gives this pit another name, Civil Official Figures Pit. Unlike most pits in the mausoleum, it is remarkably well-preserved, having escaped fire damage. Located at the southwest corner inside the inner city and closest to the emperor's mausoleum, it covers an area of 410 square meters (490 square yards) and consists of three parts: a slope gateway, a front chamber, and a back chamber. Although smaller in scale, it showcases distinct pottery figures differing from those in most terracotta warrior burial pits. On September 30, 2011, the Pit K0006 exhibition hall opened to the public and is now displayed at Lishan Garden.
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| Pit K0006 - Civil Official Figures Pit |
Slope Gateway
The slope gateway serves dual purposes as both an entrance and a passageway. Specifically, it facilitated worker access during construction, allowed soil removal during excavation, and enabled the transport of building materials and burial objects into the pit.
At the entrance of the gateway, archaeologists found the tracks of an ancient wooden carriage which appeared to have two wheels on a single axle.
Front Chamber
The L-shaped front chamber measures 10.6 meters (35 feet) long and 4.05 meters (13 feet) wide, housing 8 civil official figures and 4 charioteer figures. Currently, only nine have been repaired, with four displayed in this chamber. They are two sleeve-clasping figures and two charioteer figures, facing the north. When discovered, each of the figures showed different degrees of damage. These pottery figures were originally colored. Unfortunately, only traces of pigment remained on their faces due to groundwater infiltration and pit collapse.
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What to See in the Front Chamber?
♦ Civil Official Figures
The civil official figures in Pit K0006 are also called sleeve-clasping figures because their hands are joined and concealed within their sleeves. Compared to the warrior figures in Pit 1, they seem to be gentler, wearing long gowns with belts, pants, and square-toed shoes. Archaeologists found small knives and whetstones hanging on the right side of their belts. In the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC), writing was done on bamboo slips; mistakes were scraped off with knives, which required sharpening, hence the whetstones. These items are regarded as the stationery of ancient times. Additionally, an oval gap between the left arm and the body suggests they once held bamboo slips for recording information, further confirming their identity as civil officials.
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♦Charioteer Figures
These tall, slender figures stand approximately 1.9 meters (6.2 feet) in height, with vivid and lifelike facial features. They wear crowns and belts, holding their arms extended forward with semi-clenched fists, as if gripping bridle reins, a posture suggesting their role as charioteers in ancient times. Furthermore, the long crowns they wear indicate they held high-ranking official positions, and current archaeological findings speculate that these chariot drivers were Qin Shi Huang's charioteers, not those of ordinary officials.
♦Other Cultural Relics
As well as the figures, a pottery pot, four bronze battleaxes, and ten bronze finials of the chariot canopy were also discovered in the front chamber.
Back Chamber
The back chamber is rectangular, with a length of 20.2 meters (66 feet) and a width of 3.9 meters (13 feet). It primarily contained horse bones, with 9 skulls identified within the excavated 2,162 square meters. The horses were arranged neatly, heads north and tails south. Examinations revealed 8 stallions and 1 mare or gelded stallion. The density of bones shows that there may be over 20 real horses buried in this pit.
Tips & Notes
More Accessory Pits:
Pit K0007 - Bronze Aquatic Birds Pit K9801 - Stone Armor and Helmets Pit K9901 - Acrobatics Figures
Further Reading:
- Terracotta Army
- How to Buy Terracotta Warriors Tickets?
- Where are the Terracotta Warriors Located?
- How to Get to Terracotta Warriors from Xi'an?
- Why are there partition walls in the pit of Terracotta Army?
- How tall are the Terracotta Warriors? Were ancient people taller than us?
