Terra Cotta Soldiers of the Qin Dynasty

The Qin dynasty (also written as Ch'in) was brief, 221 B.C. - 206 B.C, but much was accomplished during this 15-year period. It was the first dynasty whose emperor ruled over a unified China, following his defeat of seven warring states. One currency and a single system of weights and measures for the entire empire were created and a standardized Chinese written language was established. Construction of a national highway system and the Great Wall of China were begun. The name, China, even originated from the word Ch'in.

Despite all these advances, this was a very repressive and strict period of ruling. Emperor Ch'in Shi Huang, derived from Shi Huangdi meaning "first emperor," was a much-feared tyrant, who ruled with an iron fist. Ch'in Shi Huang began building his own tomb at the age of thirteen, immediately after ascending to the throne following his father's death.. This was contradictory to Confucian beliefs at the time that "a son should demonstrate respect for his father by building as impressive a memorial as possible and that a man should never plan his own funeral rites."

Ch'in Shi Huang ordered the burning of history and philosophy books, as well as the deaths of 460 Confucian scholars who had continued teaching religious principles drawn from the past. He enslaved the people and imposed enormous taxes to pay for his tomb and the Great Wall, which led to rebellion towards the end of his rule. His tomb took 11 years and 700,000 workers, but it never fully reached completion. The tomb supposedly had pearls embedded in the ceiling to represent the stars, and rivers and lakes simulated with liquid mercury. The burial chamber has not yet been opened and since the site has not been fully excavated, it remains possible that this will be the most elaborate and most unique tomb ever seen. Some consider it to be the eighth wonder of the world.

In the three main pits that surround the tomb, there have been discovered thousands of terracotta soldiers designed to guard the first emperor of a newly unified China. These figures cover a 22,000 square meter area, including an estimated 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses.

While digging a well at Lishan Hill in 1976, a farmer came across several large clay pieces. This led to further excavation and the first pit of terracotta soldiers was discovered. After the discovery, subsequent excavations around the area unearthed two more pits, each of which had the same basic structure but varied in size and shape. They are all 5-7 meters under the current ground level. The terracotta figures are arranged in corridors paved with brick that are divided by thick walls. These earth walls support wood roofing comprised of huge, strong rafters. Over that, layers of fiber mats cover the roof. All of this was done to protect and conceal the emperor's army.

"Pit No.1" was the first of three pits found. It is the largest, with an area of 14,260 square meters, with a rectangular shape. This pit houses the main force of the army, totaling more than 6,000. Starting at the front, there are three rows of infantrymen at 68 per row, comprising a total of 204 soldiers dressed in ceremonial war robes. All of them originally held bows and crossbows that have long since decomposed. Behind these is the main body of the army, ready for battle. "Thirty chariots, each of which was drawn by four horses, armored and unarmored soldiers held weapons originally, such as spears, halberds etc., and around the outer edge, there is one row of soldiers with crossbows facing outwards to guard the sides and back of the army. Most of these unexcavated soldiers are infantry."

Twenty meters to the north and east of Pit No.1, Pit No.2 was discovered. It is an L-shaped room, covering 6,000 square meters. This pit is divided into four square sections, where archeologists unearthed 1,000 warriors, 500 horses, and 89 wooden chariots in 1976. The horses are both for pulling chariots and carrying riders. A protruding northeastern area of the L-shaped pit houses 334 archers, lined up in eight clusters and all armed with crossbows. 160 of them, clad in heavy protective armor, are in the front line kneeling position and 174 others stand behind to shoot over their heads.

The second group, 64 chariots, is also arranged in eight clusters. Each chariot is led by an archer, supported by a soldier on each side, and reinforced by another infantryman at the rear, carrying a spear. This foursome represents an improvement of chariot formations to that of previously discovered ones of this time period. Originally made of wood, the chariots had completely deteriorated by the time they were discovered but clear marks were left on the floor.

At the center of Pit No. 2, the third section has 19 war chariots in front and 108 cavalrymen. This section has three clusters. Each one has chariots up at the front followed by infantrymen, with the cavalry at the rear. Each cavalryman stands in front of a saddled warhorse, holding the reins in his right hand and a bow in his left.

In the fourth section, there are three clusters, consisting of six chariots, 124 vaulting horses and men. Each chariot carries the charioteer and his scout, both carrying a bow. "The four arrays seemed to exist independently, able to engage an enemy singly or could be assembled immediately to constitute a complete battle formation during the war times as a combined unit. This helped shed light on the powerful army configuration that unified China during the Qin dynasty."

Pit No.3 is the smallest of the three main pits and was also discovered in 1976. Only 68 pottery figures and one chariot, drawn by four horses, were unearthed. It is U-shaped and covers 520 square meters. Pit No. 3 is considered the command center of the entire army for many reasons and unlike the other pits, it has no battle formation. Its position in the far northwest corner of the overall plan ensured that it was well protected by the armies of the two larger pits. At the eastern end of the pit, a sloping road served as the entrance, followed by an ornate, canopied chariot. The canopy was colorfully painted, representing a higher rank. In the north and south chambers, 64 fully armored figures were found. Unlike the soldiers in Pit No.1 and Pit No.2, these figures were arrayed face-to-face with their backs to the wall, suggesting that they were the guards.

About 30 bronze "Shu" weapons were also found in Pit No.3. Shu weaponry in the Qin Dynasty was used for ceremonial purposes and as a symbol of authority. These weapons are cylinder-shaped with the head resembling a triangular cone. The warriors in Pit No.3 that hold Shu