Imperial Chinese Army. Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Where is the Terracotta Army

Ancient Chinese civilization gave the world many architectural masterpieces and outstanding works of art. Some of them are classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of these greatest works Chinese culture is the famous Terracotta Army, striking in its scale and unique technique.

The Terracotta Army is a sculpture of warriors, horses and several chariots discovered in 1974 east of Mount Lishan in the Chinese city of Xi'an. Local residents were drilling an artesian well and accidentally made an amazing discovery. The sculptures of warriors are made in full height, horses and other items are also made in life size. The horses weigh more than 200 kg, and the warriors weigh about 135 kg. Researchers believe that these statues were buried with the first emperor of the Qin dynasty named Qin Shi Huang in 210-209 BC. To date, more than 8,000 sculptures of soldiers have been discovered and, most likely, this is not the final figure. Despite the fact that instead of living warriors, as prescribed ancient ritual, copies of his soldiers went into the afterlife with the emperor, but the remains of his subjects were still discovered here.

Clay sculptures rested in crypts ranging from 4 to 8 meters deep. Each warrior has his own weapon and uniform. Among them there are privates, archers, infantry, officers, and cavalry. All figures are handmade and have individual facial features. Among the 8,000 soldiers, no two are exactly alike. The details of clothing, weapons, and horse harnesses are made with amazing precision and skill. The found chariots amaze with their splendor.

Not only warriors were found in the burial; there were also musicians, acrobats and officials.

The material from which the sculptures are made is interesting. Chinese scientists have found that large sculptures, mainly chariots and horses, were made nearby from material from Mount Lishan. And the lighter statues of warriors, apparently, were brought from another area.

The Terracotta Army raises a lot of questions among its researchers. Perhaps the most important of them is the technology for making sculptures. During the study, it was found that first the clay sculpture was given the desired shape, and then it was fired. After firing, the warriors were covered with glaze and painted. But no clay kilns were found nearby, and in addition, to produce such a huge number of statues it would have required not just one kiln, but a whole production complex. This level of development does not correspond to the level of Chinese civilization at that time.

Another question that haunts researchers is the bronze weapons that the warriors were equipped with. All metal objects coated with a special anti-corrosion alloy containing chromium. But this method of metal processing was developed no more than 100 years ago. How did the ancient Chinese know such advanced technology? In addition, the very fact of manufacturing the weapon is questionable. More than ten thousand weapons highest quality It is impossible to do it in a handicraft way.

The third point is the stunning splendor of the chariots. Their design and decoration are made by masters the highest level, whose existence also does not fit into those time frames. Richly decorated with precious metals, plant and animal motifs, and executed with the greatest precision, the chariots are outstanding works of Chinese art.

According to researchers, some time after the burial, the emperor’s tomb was looted, losing its rich decoration. Then a fire broke out in the crypts, and the clay sculptures were covered with collapsed soil.

According to legend, the emperor’s mausoleum is four times larger than the area where research is being conducted today. But the project leaders are in no hurry to carry out further excavations. There is also a legend according to which the emperor in his afterlife must accompany rivers of mercury. This will not be a very pleasant find, so the excavation leaders are in no hurry to continue work until the surrounding area has been thoroughly examined. Another reason why work has been temporarily suspended is the safety of the sculptures themselves. The fact is that once exposed to air, they begin to collapse. Therefore, before digging up the rest, the researchers decided to develop a technology for preserving those already found.

Most of the discovered statues are located in a museum complex, specially built near the discovery site so that numerous tourists could admire the Terracotta Army. Thousands of soldiers, along with their horses, seemed frozen in time. You can look at the warriors for hours - each figure is magnificent and unique. Their faces are full of courage and determination. And it seems, if necessary, they will move into battle, following their emperor.

July 4th, 2011

The burial complex of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is the most important tourist site in China. It is located in ancient city Xi'an, former capital China for a millennium. Many people come to this city just to see the famous Terracotta Army, which today is the most significant part of the tomb of the First Emperor, since the burial complex itself is very rarely visited by tourists. Clay warriors, found in 1974, are attracting all the attention. At the same time, the Terracotta Army is only a minor element of the burial, located 1.5 km from the tomb itself, outside the line of the ancient defensive walls that surrounded the entire necropolis.

Getting to the Terracotta Army from Xi'an is as easy as shelling pears; bus No. 306 or 5 runs there constantly from the square of the city's main railway station.
The entire area around the tomb of the First Emperor has been desecrated by the Chinese in a way only they know how to do. I have no energy to describe the kilometer-long rows of shops and stalls; I even got lost in this labyrinth of meaningless structures. There is so much of all this evil that it is difficult to find the entrance to the complex itself.

Main excavation.

The Terracotta Army dates back to the 2nd-3rd century BC. and is logically attributed to the burial complex of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, although it is located at some distance from it.
On at the moment More than 8,000 clay warriors have been excavated, and their number is constantly increasing. The warriors are 180-190 cm tall, and one soldier weighs about 130 kg.

Almost all the faces of the Terracotta Army are individual.

The entire army was equipped with real weapons - crossbows, pikes and swords, most of which may have been borrowed by rebel peasants in ancient times, but even now tens of thousands of arrowheads and other types of weapons have been found.
Photo from the Terracotta Army Museum.

The attention to detail is simply amazing.

It is estimated that there may be thousands and thousands more warriors in the ground. Figures of officials, musicians and acrobats were also found.

Not all the warriors arrived in perfect condition; most of the figures were crushed by a heavy roof that collapsed in ancient times.

All the figures were very brightly painted, but the paints died from contact with oxygen when the warriors began to be removed to the surface.
Photo from the Terracotta Army Museum. I just don’t understand why they have blue noses? :)

There are many versions that answer the question of why all these figures were needed. As you know, during the earlier Chinese dynasties of the Shang and Zhou, it was customary to bury living people, but here they seemed to have decided, out of the kindness of their hearts, to replace them with clay copies.
"A warrior who wishes us well."

The figure of the general is the tallest of all, it is about 2 meters.

But there is one nuance here. Previously, the number of people buried with the rulers was relatively small - 100-200 people. The number of Qin Shi Huang's warriors is already more than 8,000, and it is unknown how many more will be found. Burying an entire army corps alive was probably beyond the power of even the great First Emperor. So we can talk not so much about the “great kindness” of the ruler, but about his increased desires.
In this sense, the wives of Qing Shih Huang were unlucky; according to Sima Qian, they were buried the same way - in their natural form. Apparently, the Chinese had correct understanding this question - a clay woman cannot replace a real one) In the end, all the childless concubines were buried, those were harsh times.

Bronze models of Qin Shihuana's chariots. They are made almost life-size, many parts of the harness and the chariots themselves are made of gold and silver.

Sima Qian also testifies that many of the craftsmen who worked on the mausoleum were buried along with the emperor. Of course, burying everyone was just as problematic as burying the soldiers, because up to 700,000 people worked during the construction of the tomb. Recently, a mass grave of people was found west of the Qin Shi Huang pyramid, but there are only about a hundred people there, perhaps these are workers who died during construction. They died like flies, it was the famous all-China penal servitude.

"Tai Chi Warrior"

It is probably appropriate to cite here the text of Sima Qian itself, since this main source our knowledge about the tomb of Qin Shihuang.

“In the ninth moon, [the ashes] of Shi Huang were buried in Mount Lishan. Shi Huang, having first come to power, then began to break through Mount Lishan and build a [crypt] in it; Having united the Celestial Empire, [he] sent over seven hundred thousand criminals there from all over the Celestial Empire. They went deep to the third waters, filled [the walls] with bronze and lowered the sarcophagus down. The crypt was filled with [copies of] palaces, [figures of] officials of all ranks, rare things and extraordinary jewelry that were transported and lowered there. The craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows so that, [installed there], they would shoot at those who would try to dig a passage and get into [the tomb]. Large and small rivers and seas were made from mercury, and the mercury spontaneously flowed into them. A picture of the sky was depicted on the ceiling, and the outline of the earth on the floor. The lamps were filled with ren-yu fat in the hope that the fire would not go out for a long time
Er-shi said: “All the childless inhabitants of the back chambers of the palace of the late emperor should not be driven away,” and ordered them all to be buried along with the deceased. There were many dead. When the emperor's coffin was already lowered down, someone said that the craftsmen who made all the devices and hid [the valuables] knew everything and could spill the beans about the hidden treasures. Therefore, when the funeral ceremony was over and everything was covered, they blocked the middle door of the passage, after which they lowered the outer door, tightly walling up all the artisans and those who filled the grave with valuables, so that no one came out. They planted grass and trees [on top] so that the grave took on the appearance of an ordinary mountain.”

The text is very interesting and indeed very mysterious.
I'm not an expert Chinese translations, but I believe that the meaning in the passage is conveyed accurately. It is noteworthy that Sima Qian does not mention the construction of a giant pyramid in the text. A crypt is made in an already supposedly existing mountain. At the same time, most modern scientists recognize the artificiality of the Qin Shi Huang mound. This is such a contradiction...
The road from the Terracotta Army to the burial complex itself passes through very rough terrain, all dug with pits for some kind of flood agriculture. I thought that with such furious digging up of the territory by local peasants, it would not be a sin to find the emperor’s burial itself..

This is what Qin Shihuang's pyramid looks like now.

The height of the pyramid at the moment is about 50 meters. It is believed that the original structure was twice as large; different height data are given from 83 meters to 120. The length of the side of the base of the pyramid is 350 meters (For reference, the length of the side of the base of the Cheops pyramid in Egypt is 230 meters)

Don't think that Qin Shihuang's pyramid is such a pile of earth. Below is one of the reconstructions of the tomb. The pyramid was made from the same material as the Great Wall and almost all houses in China and Central Asia, that is, from compressed earth. This material can be as durable as concrete. For example, some earthen sections of the Great Wall of China dating back to the turn of the Common Era during the Han Dynasty are still standing, but later walls made of stones and baked bricks from the Ming Dynasty have already collapsed.

The only thing I don't like about this reconstruction is that there are three large steps. In the photo of the French researcher Victor Segalen, taken in 1909, the first and second large steps are clearly visible, then the pyramid, like the entire landscape, was “bald” and the division of the steps was clearly visible.

If you believe Sima Qian, then perhaps there was some kind of natural mountain at the base of the pyramid, where the emperor was buried. But maybe, as many researchers think, the First Emperor was not buried in his pyramid, his tomb is somewhere nearby.
The base of the pyramid is hidden by trees.

The upper platform of the Qin Shi Huang pyramid. Now access here has been closed so that tourists do not walk over the head of the First Emperor of China. It can be seen that the Chinese are trying to camouflage the upper platform with freshly planted trees. It’s not very clear why, probably to completely destroy the brains of various ufologists and other specialists in aliens and pre-civilizations.

The staircase was dismantled and the opening was planted with trees so that from a distance the presence of a passage here would be unnoticeable.

About 200 meters south of the pyramid, I discovered in the thickets a very decent vertical shaft dug by Chinese comrades. Apparently, they are not sitting idle, and the search for the entrance to the burial, although slowly, is underway..

This photo clearly shows how far from the pyramid the Chinese dug this shaft into the ground.

The mine is located inside the perimeter of the fortress walls that surrounded the entire burial complex. There were several such perimeters. The fortress walls of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang are not much smaller in size medieval walls city ​​of Xi'an, the total length of the tomb walls is 12 km, average height 10 meters.

Reconstruction of the burial city of Qin Shi-huang.

Now the entire courtyard of the burial complex is overgrown with trees and bushes, but once there were many structures of a ritual nature, all that remains are the foundations. But the walls of the Inner Burial City are still visible; they are especially well preserved in the south.

Ruins of the southern gate of the complex. There were 10 of them in total.

The photo taken from the height of the pyramid clearly shows the south-eastern corner of the fortifications.

In some places the walls have been preserved to a height of two or three meters.

These bricks are at least 2210 years old...

I wonder why the pyramid has decreased so significantly in size. Of course, time and natural disasters took their toll, but most likely the tomb of the First Emperor of China was simply not completed.
Sima Qian also points out this:
“The throne was inherited [by] the heir Hu Hai, who became the second emperor-ruler - Er-shi-huangdi”…..
“After the death of Shi Huang, Hu Hai showed extreme stupidity: without completing the work at Mount Lishan, he resumed the construction of the Epan Palace in order to fulfill the plans previously outlined by [his father].”

Those. For the son, the palace was more important than his father's tomb. By the way, Epan Palace is one of the colossal structures ancient China, unfortunately, it did not reach us.

It is for this simple reason that the pyramid of Qin Shihuang is somewhat different from, for example, the more geometrically correct later pyramids of the Han Dynasty. And it’s not even about the size, but about the shape of the structure, which just doesn’t exist. The man-made mountain has a square only at the base, and I have suspicions that the Chinese specially designed this by cutting off part of the loess rock.

The first step of the base of the pyramid is clearly visible here.

Here's the first one high level neatly hidden by planted trees.

The mound is rounded at the top, the edges are almost completely absent. Because of this, I even got lost there - I went down not from the south, but from the west, and for a long time I could not understand where I was. We must not forget that one side of the Qing Shi Huang pyramid is 350 meters. And only from the air can you see what is there and how, but on the ground you can see only a dense forest and a gradual rise of the soil towards the center of the structure.

The general appearance of the southern courtyard of the funerary complex is complete emptiness, although a small line of ancient walls can be discerned.

This loess terrace, in the photo below, I initially took for a dam protecting funerary city Qin Shihuang from floods, but the dam is most likely located further south. The entire province of Shaanxi consists of loess terraces like these, so it’s easy to get confused.

As in many other places in Shaanxi, Chinese peasants have dug their houses and barns into the terraces for centuries. The photo shows one of them.

The surrounding mountains look much more “pyramidal” than the largest Chinese pyramid. No matter how hard you try, the creations of nature will always be greater than any human deed.

Sometimes it may seem that there is nothing mysterious and unknown left on our planet - progress has managed to get to everything. However, this is not true. And let incredulous skeptics prove the opposite, the world is full of mysteries. One of them is The terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang or, as it is also called, the eighth wonder of the world.

As often happens, humanity owes the discovery of this mysterious place to chance. If in 1974, farmers from the province of Shaanxi had not set about building a new well and had not found the first material evidence of the existence of an army, we would still not know that under the layers of soil there is a man-made terracotta army. Astonishment local residents, who came across many clay shards instead of an aquifer, aroused the genuine interest of archaeologists, and excavations soon began. Working with tremendous persistence and no less caution, scientists were soon able to bring to the surface the first artifacts - full-size ancient statues of Chinese warriors and horses, made of baked clay.

The first wave of excavations occurred in 1978-1984, followed a year later by the second - from 1985 to 1986, and finally, in 2009, research was resumed and continues to this day. As a result, scientists were able to discover thousands of masterfully crafted statues, each with its own characteristic facial expression, worked out to the smallest detail.

Mysterious army made of clay

Terracotta is fired clay that has a red-brown color.

After discovering the first traces of artifacts, scientists soon figured out the origin of the statues. All of them were made on the orders of Qin Shi Huang, the great unifier of the land of China, which was fragmented at that time, during whose government it continued. Qin Shi Huang remained in the annals of history as a formidable and cruel, but at the same time, wise ruler. And it is he who is considered the first ruler of the empire.

Shi Huangdi decided to build his tomb a year after he ascended the throne, and this happened early - already at the age of twelve. Construction of the future mausoleum began in 245 BC, took 38 years and as a result turned into the most large-scale and grandiose tomb in the world - the underground kingdom.

As a commander, Qin Shi Huang believed that his army would be useful to him even after death. For this, long before his future death, he began preparing his accompanying people. As evidenced by excavations that took place in different parts world, burial after the death of the rulers of their retinue was found almost everywhere. However, the Chinese emperor decided to take things further. He did not take the lives of the soldiers of his own army (since such large-scale casualties could threaten an uprising of his subjects), but he ordered the production of a terracotta army - an analogue of the military - and bury them instead of living people.

Features of creation

The exquisite craftsmanship that marks each of the figures leaves no doubt: the best sculptors and artists of the country were involved in the production of the statues. In addition, we can say with one hundred percent certainty that the sculptors created clay soldiers, referring to nature. This is proven by the fact that the warriors of China's clay army have different features and facial expressions. Eight thousand figures, completely copying real people, were executed with only artistic license - they are taller than the average Chinese, on average slightly less than two meters. Most likely, the creators of the sculptures took this step to make their creations look more severe and intimidating.

The Terracotta Army statues were made of clay and then fired at a temperature of one thousand degrees Celsius. The result was stone-hard figures with a characteristic terracotta tint.

After the sculptures were ready, they were painted with mineral dyes in bright colors. It’s a pity, but time has deprived us of the opportunity to see the colorful outfits of the warriors, since fragments of colors have been preserved over the centuries only on some figures. This difficulty is being corrected by restorers who are now engaged in restoring the clay army - as a result, visitors to the museum complex can see statues painted in bright colors.

Using the example of the clay army, one can judge the military hierarchy of that time. So, in the retinue of the first emperor of the Qin dynasty we see infantrymen, archers, horsemen and their horses. All warriors and horses are lined up in strict columns, as befits a battle formation, and face east. Some of the soldiers are standing with their own weapons, while some of them were found unarmed. According to historians, a certain percentage of bows, swords and spears were stolen during one of the uprisings, but most of the weapons were still preserved. The exception is the wooden parts of the weapons, while some metal ones even retain their sharpness.

As we have already noted, all the sculptures of the Terracotta Army were made by hand, but this was done both near the mausoleum under construction and in other regions of the country. The exception was the horse figures - they were produced in the immediate vicinity of the tomb, since each of them weighs two hundred kilograms. In addition to soldiers and cavalry, chariots were also found - hundreds of these military carts, containing metal, were preserved, while the wooden chariots were completely decayed.

See a man-made army with your own eyes

The army of Qin Shi Huang faithfully carried out its silent service for many centuries. Now, in the place where it once rested, a huge museum has grown, which is under the protection of UNESCO and is considered one of the most famous attractions, clearly demonstrating the ancient reality of China.

The mystery of the Terracotta Army attracts hundreds of tourists from different countries. Along with the Great Wall of China - another creation of the first Chinese Emperor, this place is amazing, and every day a live stream of visitors stretches here. To get to the museum complex you need to get to the village of Qinling, which is thirty kilometers from Xi’an. You can do this either by your own car or by bus, which starts from the station square in Xi'an.

As you might guess, there are a lot of people who want to see the clay warriors. Therefore, if you don’t want to spend half a day in line, it is recommended to go on an excursion on a weekday, preferably before the opening. There are three covered hangars on the territory of the museum complex., in which visitors can see excavated buildings, sculptures of warriors and horses - you need to look at them from above. There is also a museum on site that houses exhibits from the exhibition. After getting acquainted with the Terracotta Army, you can relax a little in the park located on the territory or go to the cinema - they are showing a film about the Terracotta Army and its emperor.

In the spring of 1974, in the Chinese province of Shaanxi, the digging of a well on one of the land plots was suspended. At a depth of 4–5 m, a figure of an ancient warrior made of dark clay was discovered. The accuracy and realism of even the smallest details of this find indicated its exceptional uniqueness. This is exactly how the story of the most grandiose archaeological discovery of the 20th century began - the terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang.

Excavations continued at the site where the find was discovered. They included several stages. And, as the work progressed, the place was surrounded by a covered pavilion to protect it from external destruction.
During the first 12-year period, it was possible to excavate another 6,000 similar clay sculptures and, along with them, also realistically executed horses. During the next period (it lasted only a year) - another 2000. Excavations continue to the present day. Now, according to the results of a 40-year period of archaeological work, the number of clay soldiers is more than 8,000. They form three multi-meter ranks and are located according to the battle formation of the Qin Dynasty. This building is part of the ancient tomb of the first emperor of united China - Qin Shi Huang, who was obsessed with the idea of ​​his own immortality.

The history of the creation of the Terracotta Army

The beginning of construction of the burial complex dates back to 247 BC. At that time, the young man took over the reins. The history of his reign is quite controversial. On the one hand, he managed to unite several warring states of ancient China, creating a new empire. But on the other hand, his conquests were distinguished by cruelty and bloodshed. From the first day of his reign, young Shi Huang began to build a tomb for himself. The theme of immortality worried him throughout his life, which prompted him to create religious buildings. In addition to the grandiose tomb, his initiative included the construction of the Great Wall of China.

Terracotta Army today

Today, the excavation site is surrounded by a huge museum complex with an area of ​​50 sq.m. This is one of the iconic and grand sights of China. To see the monumental structure with your own eyes, you need to get to the village of Qinling, not far from Xi’an (about 30 km). It is easy to get here either by public transport or by your own car. Since the place is quite popular, it is always crowded. Before you buy a ticket, you will have to stand in queues for many kilometers in front of the ticket office. However, all these inconveniences are compensated by the impressions of visiting the museum.

Video about the Terracotta Army in China

Take a video trip to China to the pavilions of the Terracotta Army.

The museum is a complex that is striking in its scale. It consists of three rooms – pavilions. In some of them, excavations continue to this day. Museum visitors are advised to start their tour from the third pavilion, where the destroyed exhibits are collected, and then from the rest, where restoration work on the Terracotta Army has already been completed.