Fascinating Places: The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di
by Thousands and thousands of life size clay warriors stand in silent and eternal defense of the amazing ancient tomb.
The tomb of the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang Di is called the most spectacular archaeological find of the twentieth century. Qin Shi Huang Di began his reign in China in 221 B.C. at the age of thirteen.
One of his first official acts was to begin the construction of his tomb. Another great work this emperor was responsible for was the Great Wall of China.
What makes the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di so fascinating are the approximately 8,000 life sized clay soldiers and horses that stand in trenches and in three of the chamber of the tomb.
One of the most amazing things about the clay soldiers is the fact that they are not all the same. They have different clothes, facial expressions, hair styles and weapons. There are generals, officers and ordinary soldiers, young and old alike. The figures are made of terracotta which is a fine grey clay.
The figures were formed by pressing the clay into molds. The heads of the figures were made separately from several dozen different molds. Features such as facial hair, lips, eyes and ears were added by hand. The completed figures were fired until they were hardened and then painted, although most of the paint has worn off. One can only imagine just how life like these soldiers must have seemed when their vibrant colors were first painted.
One pit alone contains an estimated 6,000 of these life sized soldiers. Archeologists are still working at excavating the site and have yet to determine exactly how large the number of these figures will grow. It is a truly amazing sight considering the fact that only one percent of the tomb has been unearthed.
Not all the jewels and treasures buried with the emperor have been found. According to archaeologists who are familiar with the tomb, some of the treasures in the tomb are guarded by devices that are triggered to release a deadly volley of arrows at any intruder who would dare to approach. It is believed that the workmen who set up these traps were buried alive in order to be sure that the secret of the entranceway died with them.
The following YouTube video is rich in information and beautiful shots of the tomb. This particular video is very well put together.
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Post Comments hayes
On November 13, 2008 at 5:04 am
Excellent article,
What an amazing place
eddiego65
On November 13, 2008 at 9:42 am
Fascinating piece and place!
Jimmy
On November 14, 2008 at 10:56 am
Awesome and interesting article!
Patrick Bernauw
On November 14, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Hey Bren, the clay warriors are in Maaseik now, and that’s a pretty little city in Belgium (and that’s were I live… not in Maaseik, but in Belgium!) – One of these days, I go see them!
kate smedley
On June 5, 2009 at 3:43 am
I’ve seen these, they are fascinating. Great article.
Glynis Smy
On June 5, 2009 at 11:42 am
Interesting topic!
DA Cournean
On June 5, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Very interesting !
Katien
On June 5, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I think that it is incredible that they are all different.
Don
On June 5, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Great article that is very well written and informative. What a mind-boggling place.
thestickman
On June 5, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I haven’t watched the video yet, -but wasn’t there a ‘river of liquid mercury’ involved with this somehow? Maybe that is mentioned in the vid… gotta go watch that now.
Bill M. Tracer
On June 5, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Thank you for sharing, Bren. It is a well constructed article.
Joshua Miguel
On June 5, 2009 at 11:47 pm
this is incredible. well researched post.
Knightvolt
On June 6, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I have seen this before myself,but it is a great find in history.
baladewa
On June 8, 2009 at 8:58 pm
thanks bren..what a useful info on chinese history
Simon Belmont
On June 9, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Great stuff
Kimberly Moore
On July 24, 2009 at 8:26 am
Interesting article Bren! Thanks for sharing:)