Exhibitions – What to See

Terracotta Infantry Warriors

Compared with the excavated quantity of the cavalries, horses, and other figures of the Terracotta Army, the infantry warriors has the most in numbers, with about 7,000 pieces been unearthed to date. Arranged orderly and solemnly standing in the pits, they are indeed the real reflection of the army formation of that time. In the ancient time, the infantry first appeared during the Xia Dynasty (21st century BC – 16th century BC). The scale of infantry military grew rapidly during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 207 BC). They became the largest group in the army and made significant contribution towards Qin's unification of China. 
General Figure
General Figure
Lower-ranking General Figure
Lower-ranking General Figure
Terracotta Soldier
Terracotta Soldier
 

Different Status of Terracotta Infantry Warriors

The infantry figures are also called the infantry soldiers wearing armors. Based on different status, the 7,000-piece infantry figures are divided into two major categories, namely, the general figures and soldier figures. Furthermore, the general figures are categorized into general figures, junior general figures and lower general figures; while the soldier figures consist of the heavy infantry and light infantry. Among them, the junior general forms the biggest figures excavated to date. In addition to this, there are figures in standing and kneeling position, holding crossbow. The prominent characteristics of these warriors are their diverse uniforms and different hair styles, which indicate their positions.
 

Headgears 

The most distinguished differences among the general figures, junior general figures and lower general figures, as well as the soldier figures are their headgears. Unlike other infantry warriors, the general figures wear the He crown, whereas the junior general figures and lower general figures wear the double-ban crown and single-ban crown respectively. Relatively speaking, the shape of the He crown is special. Its front part looks like a square plate, while the latter part is twisty as the tail of pheasant; the double-ban crown and single-ban crown have the same trapezoidal shape, but there is a seam in the middle of the double-ban crown. The soldier figures however wear no crown but instead their hair is wrap with a piece of cloth, though not all. In addition to the above characteristics, the general figures are particularly tall and strong, with the collar flowers and shoulder flowers decorated on their uniforms.
 See detailed Headgears of Terracotta Warriors
General's Headwear
General's Headwear
Headwear of Middle and Lower Ranking Officer
Headwear of Middle and Lower Ranking General

Dressing Style

The diverse uniform styles also provide useful clue to their status. The general figures wear color painted armor with isosceles-triangle hemline in the front, as well as red robe covered by black jacket. The junior general figures and lower general figures are recognized by their short armors and elbow guards, long pants and the ankle boots. The soldier figures, on the other hand, only have the coat armor for ease of fighting. They originally held the long-pole weapons based on their standing posture, which incidentally are of the same size as a real human being, and their appearance and mannerism are also similar to the soldiers in the battlefield.
 See details of What Are the Terracotta Warriors Wearing?
  Cavalry Warriors
 Chariot Warriors
 Kneeling Archers
 Standing Archers
 Terracotta Horses

- Last updated on May. 28, 2023 -
Questions & Answers on Infantry Warriors
Asked by Ed from AUSTRALIA | May. 28, 2023 16:59Reply
What is a Chinese terracotta warrior

Answers (2)
Answered by Liam | May. 28, 2023 17:00
00Reply


I am not sure Ed
Answered by Andrew | May. 28, 2023 19:33
00Reply


The Terracotta warriors were clay made soldiers from the Qin Dynasty about 2,600 years ago.
Asked by Liam from AUSTRALIA | May. 28, 2023 16:53Reply
Infantry
What rank are the infantry warriors
Answers (1)
Answered by George | May. 28, 2023 19:02
00Reply


Infantry is just one kind of the Terracotta Army and among the infantries, there are different ranks.
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