A significant archaeological discovery was made on March 29, 1974, when a group of farmers stumbled upon the Terracotta Army in Shaanxi province, China. That stunning discovery came deep within pomegranate and persimmon orchards, one hour’s drive northeast of Xi’an. This remarkable find has opened a new window on the reign of Qin Shi Huang. He is the first emperor of a consolidated China, and his impact reaches all the way back to the 3rd Century BCE.
Artisans fashioned the Terracotta Army to guard Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum. Its stated purpose was to protect his final resting place from northern marauders. An enormous army of life-size figures represents foot soldiers, archers, horses and charioteers. Every action figure comes with distinct facial expressions, powerful poses, richly detailed costumes. Each statue weighs in at 272 kilograms (600 pounds). They once sparkled in the majesty of rich, radiant hues, until, unfortunately, exposure to light and air caused those colors to turn dark.
Spanning an area of seven square miles, the Terracotta Army faces east, the direction from which Qin Shi Huang’s enemies were expected to approach. The army consists of an estimated 8,000 terracotta figures, all but a few of which are buried under the field. Though this discovery at the time was received with some trepidation, ultimately it became the springboard for a variety of extraordinary farmer-led breakthroughs.
“Everyone was afraid to touch it,” – Yang Quanyi
The farmers behind this revolutionary discovery were given scant credit or compensation for their discovery.
“We got nothing for the discovery,” – He (no specific name mentioned)
“It was the days of collective farms and we were given ten credit points by our brigade leader for finding the warriors. That was the equivalent of about one yuan [5p].” – Yang Zhifa
Qin Shi Huang’s reign was marked by significant reforms, as he established a centralized administration and dismantled territorial feudal power. His mausoleum still lies unopened to this day, guarded by the still, stoic sentinels of his Terracotta Army.
