Terractotta Army

History

One of the largest masoliems in the world the terracotta army has become a focal point for me, over the last few days. This huge clay army holds alot of history, and cultural infomation; reguarding the chinese in ancient history times. This grave was constructed for the first emporer of china in Qin Shi Huang. Who united china as one nation, before this china was split into smaller wareing states. This world wounder is the imprint this man left on the world. Simular to the egyptions this tomb is on one of the grandest scales in the world. With over 8000 clay statues including cavalry and chariots, this stone army was constructed to guard the emporer as he entered the afterlife. Like the pyrimds this structure took around 700 000 workers to complete, and must of taken decades to complete. Each figure is unquie in cloths, exspresion and height. No two are identicl, this simple adds to the magic of this clay army, each unquie and different.


The weopons that were discovered at this site are also incredibly interesting, they were weopons used in the wars before the emperor came into power, weopons such as, swords, crossbows, spears, axes shields and bows. A large amount of these were still sharp and coated in chromium oxide. Keeping them preseved to a point throughout history.

 Facts and Infomation

210-209 BC Qin Shi Huang died, and thousands of statues were buried with him in pits around his tomb. Construction ended a year after he died when the empire fell into turmoil

Worker deaths: It is thought that all the laborers were put to death to keep the mausoleum a secret along with many others! 

 Treasures: It is thought that the underground tomb itself might hold much more treasure and artifacts unless it has been robbed. But it hasn’t been excavated. 2,000 years ago, a historian named Sima Qian wrote that the tomb contained a world with mountains made of gold, stars represented by pearls, jewels, and flowing rivers of mercury.

 Construction: The whole complex was built in about 40 years and wasn’t completed.

Total area: The whole burial complex is thought to be bigger than Manhattan.

Booby Traps: There are alot of specualtion of booby traps and dangerous traps laid out throughout the emperors main tomb (that is still untouched) including poisen arrows and mercury traps.

Conncetion To astronamy: Throughout alot of chinese tombs in the Han dynasty, there is a range of inscriptions and images that could relate to astronomical events and happenings.