In March 1974, in the middle of a prolonged drought, a group of farmers went out into a field near Lishan Mountain in the northeast of China’s Shaanxi Province to look for water. To their dismay, they only found a handful of pottery shards and bronze arrowheads—nothing that could quench their thirst or feed their crops.

The farmers might well have reburied their curious finds, were it not for Zhao Kangmin, who went to the mountain the moment he got wind of this story. A one-time farmer turned museum curator in Shaanxi Province, he knew the shards and arrows were significant, as they had been found not far from the presumed but still-undiscovered resting place of Qin Shi Huang, the legendary founder of Qin dynasty, China’s great unifier, and its first emperor.

Under Zhao’s supervision, the farmers went back into the field and, after a bit more digging, uncovered two terracotta statues of dynastic warriors, each standing a little over five feet tall. Fast forward five decades, and Chinese archeologists have uncovered around 2,000 warriors, alongside 130 chariots, 520 horses, and 150 calvary horses, with an estimated 6,000 additional warriors thought to remain unexcavated.  

A view of the Terracotta Army in the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. Photo: Kevin McGill.

On permanent display at the Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses in Xi’an, the sculptures were left in-situ, emerging from the ground in an imposing military formation. For their individual size and weight—ranging from 272 to 600 pounds—not to mention their collective impression, they have been rightly referred to as the eighth World Wonder.

Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army is thought to have been erected between 247 and 208 B.C.E., more than 2,200 years in the past. Although its origin is largely shrouded in mystery, one primary source—a contemporary historical text known as the Shih Chi—said the emperor ordered its construction when he was just 13 years old, indicating that he was already thinking about his legacy.

The army’s construction process is rivaled only by that of China’s Great Wall. Experts believe it required more than 700,000 laborers, from the ordinary workers tasked with moving the blocks of terracotta to the skilled craftsmen who provided each warrior with unique weapons, armor, and facial features.

Each figure was erected from its feet up, with various body parts shaped with clay; its head was created separately. Before the statue entered the kiln, it was sculpted with further details—from its hair to its dress.

Visitors photograph the clay warriors of the Terracotta Army on the site of the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China, in excavation hall number one. Photo: Johannes Neudecker/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images.

Similar to ancient Greek and Roman statues, the terracotta warriors were originally painted in bright colors. Painting began the moment the statues were taken out of the kiln, upon which they were covered in a lacquer primer and decorated with colors to represent their military rank. Although most of the paint has faded over time, faint traces remain on at least two warriors.

Considering the army’s purpose, archaeologists and historians take the Shih Chi for its word, insisting the statues were intended to decorate and watch over the Qin Shi Huang’s tomb for all eternity, defending it from his many enemies. The emperor’s own burial chamber, located near the army, remains sealed on order of the Chinese government, despite the innumerable historical riches that may or may not await inside.  

For the moment, the only description of the burial chamber’s interior comes from yet another ancient historical document, a text written by the Han dynasty chronicler Sima Qian, who described “palaces and scenic towers for a hundred officials,” filled to the brim with art and artifacts. The ceilings are said to be covered with constellations, mimicking the night sky, with mock-ups of China’s biggest rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow River, flowing underneath.

Terracotta Army Restoration Team (2023). Photo by Wang Yuguo / Xinhua via Getty Images.

Perhaps the most interesting story concerning the Terracotta Army involves the creation of the museum itself. Once Zhao Kangmin understood what he was excavating, he was unsure whether to inform the state. China had just emerged from the Cultural Revolution, a period in which anyone labeled a counterrevolutionary was fervently persecuted, and many ancient Chinese artifacts destroyed to make way for a new, communist future.

Zhao himself had fallen victim to the nationwide witch hunt, and he worried that, if he was caught digging up the legacy of the Qin dynasty, he might be put away for good. Fortunately for him and his field of study, the Chinese government, which by 1974 had turned over a new leaf in terms of policies, did the opposite, taking over excavation efforts and establishing one of the most impressive archaeological museums on the planet.

Once again, the Terracotta Army emerged victorious. 

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