50 years of the Terracotta Army: still amazing finds

The farmers hoped to find water during their excavations, but instead they came across something completely unexpected: the hard, red earth contained the tips of ancient bronze arrows and the crumbling remains of life-sized clay heads. The accidental find turned out to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century: the Terracotta Army, an army made of clay, built for the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.

8000 warrior figures

It has been 50 years since the first evidence of the Terracotta Warriors was found in March 1974, northeast of the central Chinese city of Xi’an at the foot of the Lishan Mountains. Xi’an is a city with more than 3,100 years of history and was the capital of 13 dynasties.

Around 8,000 warrior figures were found that were supposed to protect the emperor as bodyguards even after his death. Today the Terracotta Museum is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the People’s Republic. State guests and celebrities who travel to China often don’t miss a stop at the Terracotta Museum in Xi’an. Among others, former Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Michelle Obama, wife of former US President Barack Obama, have already been here.

The final resting place of Emperor Qin has been officially a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The experts justified their decision by saying that the terracotta warriors and horses had “extraordinary technical and artistic qualities”. The army is a “unique testimony” of military organization in China during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and the short-lived Empire of a Thousand Generations (221-210 BC).

Even half a century after their discovery, the terracotta warriors continue to fascinate archaeologists. Not all mysteries have been solved. And as technology advances, new possibilities for restoration and conservation also open up.

There is a kind of “hospital” in the museum for the relics. There, the state news agency Xinhua reported in October, the unearthed warriors will be examined using X-rays and ultrasound images and other procedures.

Division into three pits

The excavation site is divided into three main areas. Pit one was dug first and is still the best known today. The army’s main infantry unit was located here. Pit three, completed in the late 1980s, contains the figures of several high-ranking officers in a small command post.

However, the crucial piece of the puzzle for understanding the Terracotta Warrior complex is pit two, on which research is now concentrating. The first excavations took place here in 1994 and, after a break, again in 2015.

As excavation director Zhu Sihong reported to the Chinese online portal “Sixth Tone” last year, the investigations indicate that this was primarily the home of the army’s “special units”: a mixed unit of mounted troops, archers and chariots. Zhu hopes that the new finds will provide unprecedented insights into how ancient armies functioned.

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And not only the terracotta warriors themselves, but also the huge mausoleum complex in Xi’an is likely to keep generations of archaeologists busy.