Who discovered the Terracotta Warriors?

The terracotta warriors were first uncovered by a group of villagers from Xiyang Village in Lintong District, notably represented by Yang Zhifa. In addition, it was Zhao Kangmin, then curator of the Lintong Museum, who first recognized their historical significance and spearheaded their restoration and preservation.
 

Terracotta Army in Today's Pit 1

 

Local villagers, prominently represented by Yang Zhifa, are widely considered as the initial discoverers of the terracotta warriors. In March 1974, a team of nine villagers began digging a well at Xiyang Village in Lintong District, which is precisely where the Terracotta Army is located. As the work progressed, the soil became increasingly hard. After a few days, Yang Zhifa's hoe struck a hard object while digging. Initially thinking it might be an iron block or something similar, he soon uncovered what resembled a pottery figure. Later, more fragments of pottery figures were found. Several days later, Yang reported this discovery to the Lintong Museum, leading to the official identification and excavation of the terracotta warriors.

During the 1998 visit of Bill Clinton, who was then the President of the United States, Yang Zhifa was invited to meet him as the first discoverer. Subsequently, Yang was appointed honorary curator of the Terracotta Army Museum and gradually became well-known to the public. Today, he and other villagers involved in the well-digging over 50 years ago take turns signing books at the museum. If you travel to the Terracotta Army, you may have a chance to meet him in person.

Original Site of the Well

Our Guests with Yang Zhifa

 

Read more about: World Leaders & Celebrities Who Have Visited the Terracotta Army

 

Zhao Kangmin(1936 - 2018), the former curator of the Lintong Museum, is recognized as the first to identify the significance of the terracotta warriors. Upon hearing the news about the villagers' discovery, Zhao and a colleague immediately went to the site. There, they collected the fragments of pottery figures, including their limbs and heads, from around the well. Recognizing these as likely relics from the Qin dynasty (221 - 207BC), Zhao and his colleague transported these fragments back to the museum.

After two months of meticulous work, he successfully restored two life-sized terracotta warrior figures, each 1.78 meters (5.84 feet) tall. Based on the clues provided by Yang Zhifa's discovery and his own experience, Zhao concluded that these warriors were part of the burial complex of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC), the first emperor of China. Therefore, he named them "Warrior Figures of Qin Dynasty", which later became the origin of the name "Terracotta Warriors" as they are known today. In July 1974, a professional archaeological team, including Zhao Kangmin, began to excavate the site, now known as Pit 1. In later excavations, Pit 2 and Pit 3 were successively discovered.
 

Unrestored Fragments of the Terracotta Warriors

Restored Terracotta Warrior

 

There is evidence that the terracotta warriors may have been encountered before 1974. For instance, in 1932, villagers from Yuegou Village in Lintong unearthed a kneeling warrior while digging a grave, though it went missing and later resurfaced in Shanghai. In 1948, farmers from nearby Shangjiao Village found two kneeling warrior figures, mistakenly identified them as pottery gods, and placed them in a local temple for worship. After the terracotta warriors became known, some elderly locals recalled previously uncovering similar figures but, unaware of their archaeological value, did not report them. Thus, it was not until 1974 that the Terracotta Army was first discovered and introduced to the world.

Further Reading:
 Discovery of Terracotta Army in 1974
 What is the Terracotta Army? 10 Things You should Know
 Where are the Terracotta Warriors Located?
 Why are the Terracotta Warriors Important?
 Why was the Terracotta Army built?
 When was the Terracotta Army Built?
 Second Excavation of Pit 2 of Terracotta Army
 Third Excavation of Pit 1 of Terracotta Army
 What is the Terracotta Army? 10 Things You should Know
 How to Visit Terracotta Army - A Perfect One-Day Tour Plan