Terracotta Army. Terracotta Army in China

Terracotta Army in China, became a great discovery for archaeological scientists, at the same time bringing many new facts and mysteries from ancient times. Ancient times keep many mysteries and secrets. Sometimes plunging into secrets ancient world, archaeologists find interesting artifacts that open their eyes to certain things, or, on the contrary, they become even more confused in their guesses.

Terracotta Army - what is it?

Qin Shi Huang () ascended the throne as a boy. He began ruling the empire at the age of thirteen. Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, he was ambitious and power-hungry, but was a cruel ruler who often resorted to the use of force. At the beginning of his reign (from 246 BC), he began to build a tomb for himself, preparing in advance for the afterlife. Construction lasted thirty-eight years. At his order, it was ordered to build an army of clay warriors, whose mission was to guard the emperor in the Kingdom of the Dead and help rule the country after death. For this purpose, a Chinese terracotta army was made, buried in 210 BC along with the deceased ruler not far from his tomb.

Terracotta is the red or orange clay that gave the army its name. They are made in natural human height. Qin Shi Huang was the first to order a clay army to be buried with him; those who ruled before him ordered an army of living people to be buried with him. Although initially the ruler wanted four thousand young warriors to be buried with him, after his death. Why didn't he order the young soldiers to be buried with him? Because the emperor’s inner circle dissuaded him from this idea.

“During the excavations, the bodies of seventy thousand workers, with their families, and forty-eight concubines of the emperor of the Qin dynasty were found. Scientists have provided facts that they were all buried alive. It was probably decided to bury them alive to preserve the secret about the creation of the army.”

Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang

None of the warriors of the emperor's terracotta army are alike. Each has their own uniform, each is armed with their own weapon, and the faces are not repeated. One of the warriors is standing, another is pulling the bowstring, the third is standing with a sword, preparing to attack. The army was divided both by rank and by types of troops. Present:

• infantrymen;
• mounted warriors;
• archers.

You can also distinguish between officers and ordinary soldiers. The size of the army is striking in its scale, more than eight thousand warriors are sculpted to guard the emperor in the afterlife.

Several tens of thousands of swords, shields, and spears made of bronze were buried along with the clay warriors. Presumably, the Terracotta Army did not have real weapons; only a few real ones have survived to this day. After the death of the emperor, four years later, there was an uprising in the country, and the crypts with the soldiers were opened, people dismantled the weapons for themselves, and later made models for the army.

Life-size horses were also found. Several bronze chariots, according to the Chinese, all this was supposed to be useful to the ruler after death.

The weight of each soldier is approximately one hundred thirty-five kilograms, the horses weigh two hundred kilograms. All of them were located near the emperor's tomb. The army was painted in bright colors, but after centuries the paint faded. Among the terracotta warriors are:

• Chinese;
• Mongols;
• Uighurs and other nationalities.

Clothes and hairstyles are made in the spirit of that time

The army stands in the crypts in orderly rows, ready to attack. The burials are located at a depth of four to eight meters at a distance of about one and a half kilometers from the emperor’s tomb.

“After a long time, the weapon did not fade or become dull. Scientists discovered chromium in the alloy from which the weapons were made. But there was still a century left before the discovery of chromium.”

Excavations

The Terracotta Army was found in 1974 near the capital of Ancient China -. Near the necropolis of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

“The story goes that while the peasants were digging a well, they found a life-size statue of a warrior, and with him a horse, also life-size. Archaeologists were invited to the discovery site, this became the beginning of the army’s excavations.”

The excavations took place in more than one stage:

Stage I was from 1978 to 1984. In addition to the army itself, a chariot was discovered near the burial complex, which in itself can be considered a work of art. It is made of bronze and consists of more than three hundred elements. It is decorated with carved figures of animals and the Phoenix bird. The chariot is drawn by four horses. The elements of the chariot and harness contain gold and silver.

Stage II of excavations took place from 1985 to 1986. In 2000, statues of musicians, acrobats and some officials, as well as chroniclers, were found nearby. Apparently, they were created to entertain the ruler and to assist in government affairs in the Kingdom of the Dead.

The third stage of excavations began in June 2009, it has not been completed to this day. Now another five hundred figures of terracotta soldiers, one hundred figures of horses and almost two dozen chariots have been brought to the surface. The burial of the emperor himself remains unopened. According to the studied chronicles, it becomes clear that a huge amount of jewelry rests with the ruler.

Excavations are progressing so slowly not because there is no funding, but because the Chinese are very sensitive to the memory of their ancestors. They are afraid of desecrating the memory of the emperor with their unpious touch.

How it was created

The date of the creation of the terracotta clay army is determined by the date of the emperor's funeral - this is 210 BC. The tomb of Qin Shi Huang is located on Mount Lishan, near the city of Xi'an. But only some of the figures are made from clay taken from Lishan. Horses were sculpted mainly from material taken from the mountain. Because the weight of the horse statue is two hundred kilograms, the weight of the human sculpture is about one hundred and thirty-five kilograms, and it was problematic to deliver horse figures from other regions of China. But human figures were made by artisans in different regions of the state. Each master put his own personal seal on the statue of a soldier. Scientists have identified more than seventy so-called seals.

Scientists from the Chinese Institute of Botany tried to find out the places where the remaining statues were brought from. They studied pollen found in specimen statues different areas China, but they never found out where the warrior figures were brought from.

The figure of the warrior is hollow, with the exception of the legs, they are solid, otherwise the army would not have survived to this day. First the legs were molded, and then the torso was placed on them. According to scientists, after giving the body the desired shape, it was burned, and after firing, the arms and head were attached to the body. To create a face, an additional layer of clay was applied to the head and the sculptor sculpted the face with pinpoint precision. The soldier's hairstyle was accurately depicted, because in those days it was very important. Presumably each face was copied from a living person.

Then the figures were fired for a long time at a constant temperature of a thousand degrees. With such a long firing, the clay acquired the hardness of granite. Then the warrior statue was painted in natural colors. The photo shows that a footprint was sculpted on the soles of the shoes. The army was once very beautiful, but over the years the paint has faded. But some have not yet lost their color.

What remains interesting is how the figures were fired. Not a single kiln was found near the crypt, and besides, the number of statues is huge; in those days, the Chinese did not have the technology to fire such a number of products. Why archaeologists did not find ovens near the mausoleum, perhaps for the reason that the statues were brought from other places. Or maybe the stoves were dismantled so as not to interfere with the terracotta warriors guarding His Majesty.

The burial complex is striking in its size; the perimeter of the wall outside is six thousand meters.

“It is known that the emperor constantly searched for the elixir of immortality all his life. From the chronicles, scientists learned that the Chinese ruler ordered eight thousand of his subordinates to find him a magic potion. While they were searching, Qin Shi Huang decided to take mercury tablets. They may have been the cause of his death at the age of fifty."

Popularity and importance

In the eighties of the twentieth century, the UNESCO Specialized Agency included the Terracotta Army in the list world heritage.

Since then, everyone who comes on an excursion to China has been trying to visit the attraction. Or it happens nearby in the city of Xi'an itself.

High-ranking officials of other states making a business visit to the country are no exception. Two US presidents, the Chancellor of Germany, the Queen of Great Britain, the King of Belgium, one of the Presidents of Ukraine and the President of the Republic of Korea visited the exposition.

The president Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin visited the Terracotta Army in 2004.

Where is

Most of the Terracotta Army soldiers are in the place where they were found. It is ten kilometers from the city of Xi'an, close to Mount Lishan. To protect crypts with soldiers from natural disasters A gable hangar was erected above the location of the soldiers; it also serves as a museum; for a small fee, you can take a photo of the terracotta army in it.

You can get to the Terracotta Army from Beijing or Shanghai. You can fly to Xi'an, and from there you can take a bus to your destination.

Conclusion

China's Terracotta Army can rightfully be called a wonder of the world. Thirty-eight years and tens of thousands were spent on its creation. human lives. The tomb of Qin Shi Huang himself has never been opened. Some scholars suggest that this is all a facade of the tomb; the real resting place of the emperor is not here. Studying history, archaeologists know that treasures that cannot be counted are buried with the emperor. But with him rests the secret of the Terracotta Army, the creation of which remains a mystery to this day. Excavations will continue for many more decades.

U different countries and peoples there are many secrets and mysteries, the roots of which go back to the distant past. Archaeological excavations sometimes reveal such amazing finds that change the understanding of history. One of these finds was the Terracotta Army. It’s not for nothing that some historians unofficially call it the 8th wonder of the world.

A little background

Among the population of Ancient China, there was a belief that what was buried with the deceased would definitely be used by him in the other world. This belief extended not only to everyday objects, but also to people. So, in the event of the death of a ruler, a close retinue (wives and concubines, personal guards, assistants, service personnel, etc.) was sent to the next world for him.

In the 5th century BC e. A new milestone in history began in China when, after continuous wars for 250 years, Emperor Qin Shi Huang managed to unite the warring kingdoms into a single powerful empire. In addition, he managed to create a unified judicial system for the country and unite cities with a network of roads.

Interesting fact! It was on the initiative of Qin Shi Huang that the construction of the Great Chinese wall, which was intended to protect the country from attacks by northern barbarian tribes.

But due to the wars, the country’s population decreased significantly, so sending healthy living people to the other world along with the ruler was no longer considered practical: talented specialists were needed in this life. The cruel tradition has practically become obsolete, but the beliefs of Ancient China about the afterlife have not disappeared. Qin Shi Huang wanted to maintain his power after death, so he ordered the creation of a terracotta army for defense. She was buried with the emperor in 210-209 BC. e. The creation of the incredible size of the mausoleum began immediately after Shi Huangdi’s accession to the throne, lasted only about 38 years and cost the lives of almost 70,000 builders and workers.

History of discovery

A severe drought in 1974 prompted the peasants of the city of Xi'an to dig deeper wells in search of water. But instead of life-giving moisture, they found some clay fragments, which later turned out to be elements of one of the greatest discoveries XX century. In world history, its value is equal to the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings.

Archaeologists were invited to the site of the find and carefully began excavations. Researchers knew about the existence of the Terracotta Army as such thanks to reports of ancient historians (in particular, Sima Qian) and guessed that it should be located in the area of ​​​​the city of Xi'an. It was this city that was the imperial capital during the reign of the emperor. Later, not far from the once planned well, the tomb itself was later discovered.

At the excavation site, archaeologists encountered a peculiar tragedy. The fact is that the soldiers were initially covered with a special varnish and bright paint, which was preserved on individual figures due to storage in damp soil. But as soon as they were taken out into the air, the remaining paint disappeared literally before our eyes from contact with oxygen. Not a single brightly painted statue has survived to this day.

A total of 3 pits were found, located at a short distance from each other. The first, the largest and deepest, had an area of ​​229x61 m. The most a large number of archers, infantry and chariots. In the second pit they found only 100 soldiers, and in the third, the smallest, only 68, who, according to assumptions, were representatives of the command headquarters.

Army size

Archaeologists discovered in the mausoleum 130 chariots drawn by 520 horses, 150 figures of horses for cavalrymen. But as for the number of infantry soldiers of the Terracotta Army, it is impossible to say with certainty how many have been discovered. According to various sources, the number ranges from 8,000 to 8,200 statues. This variation is due to different counting rules. Not all of them have been preserved intact, so sometimes disagreements arise about how to take into account damaged soldiers, for example, with a missing head.

The uniqueness of the find

All warriors are made to life size. The weight of the figures is about 100 kg, height is 1.8-1.9 m. Moreover, each of them has individual facial features. It is believed that they were copied from real people, so no two identical figures can be found among them. There are not only Chinese here, but also Mongols, Tibetans, Uighurs and representatives of other nations. Details of uniforms, hairstyles, and clothing are conveyed with extreme precision. Even the shoe soles have the corresponding patterns recreated.

The Terracotta Warriors are located on the east side of Qin Shi Huang's tomb. They are turned to face the east, since it was from the eastern side, according to history, that the most brutal raids on the empire most often occurred. They represent a full-fledged army, built in full combat readiness, with generals and officers. There are ordinary soldiers of different military specialties: infantrymen, archers, cavalrymen, crossbowmen, who are depicted in a wide variety of poses.

Although the figures were made of clay, they had real weapons: swords, crossbows, spears, shields. Unfortunately, only a small amount of it has survived to this day, and the bulk was stolen by looters in ancient times. But even these remains gave historians a lot of new knowledge about the military equipment of those times and reasons for surprise. Consider the fact that the arrowheads made in different regions of China were almost the same size. This suggests that already in the 3rd century. BC e. here they adhered to uniform standards in the development of weapons.

During the excavations, not only figures of soldiers were found, but also scribes, statesmen, musicians, circus performers, and strongmen. This suggests that in the next world the emperor sought not only to preserve the apparatus of officials, but also to provide himself with an “entertainment program.”

How warriors were made

The technology for making figures deserves special attention. Each warrior was made in parts in different regions of the country, which facilitated not only their production, but also transportation. The material for their manufacture was terracotta - colored baked clay.

The arms, body, legs and head, sculpted separately, were then assembled into a complete composition, with the lower part being monolithic itself to ensure the stability of the figures. A special stamp was placed on all parts, by which it was possible to determine the place of its manufacture and, in case of defects, to punish the perpetrators. Judging by the fact that 87 such seals were found, at least 87 craftsmen worked on the creation of the terracotta Chinese army. Each of them had at least 10 apprentices at his disposal.

Another interesting detail concerns the temperature regime. With large temperature differences, it is impossible to ensure high-quality drying and sufficient strength of the clay. Modern masters use to maintain necessary conditions heaters. But in Ancient China, naturally, there were no such devices, and the temperature ranged throughout the year from +30°C to -10°C. In this regard, the craftsmen decided to make statues in caves, where it was constantly about 20-25°C. In such conditions, the clay could dry evenly, and the statues received the necessary strength, and then presumably were fired in ovens, the slightest traces of which have not yet been found.

Museum location

Today, almost anyone can see the Terracotta Army in the museum. Most of the soldiers remained in the places where they were discovered at one time by archaeologists. If you look at the map, the excavation site is located about 10 km from Xi'an, a large city with a population of about 8.5 million people. It is usually reached by train, car or plane from Shanghai or Beijing, but some tourists prefer to fly directly into Xi'an, from where they can take a bus to their destination.

The museum itself also remains a springboard for excavations. It was built between 1979 and 1994 and today consists of three exhibition halls with total area about 190,000 km². There is also a panoramic cinema where a 20-minute film about the creation of the army is continuously shown and one of the most interesting finds tombs - bronze chariots with four horses, which were intended to transport the emperor in the Kingdom of the Dead. They are created from more than 3000 parts and can be considered a real work of art with images of dragons, tigers and the phoenix bird.

Here you can also see the peasant who first discovered the find, get an autograph and even a souvenir photo from him for a small fee. True, eyewitnesses say that a new “discoverer” periodically appears among the Terracotta Army. In the museum store you can even become the owner of a full-size copy of your favorite soldier, which will cost about $2,500.

Terracotta Army soldiers can be seen not only in the Xi'an Museum. So, in National Museum In Beijing there is a permanent, but rather small exhibition - only 20 figures. In addition, there is another, traveling exhibition, which periodically appears in different cities countries. But it’s worth considering that 20 warriors in Beijing versus 8,000 figures in Xi’an are an incomparable experience.

Terracotta Warriors in China

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The Terracotta Army, built over 2,000 years ago, is called the eighth wonder of the world. A huge army of almost 8,000 life-size warriors is relatively well preserved thanks to terracotta (fired clay). It serves as a magnificent example of the artistic skill of ancient sculptors.

What does the Terracotta Army represent?

Not only infantry, but also cavalry are represented here.

But also chariots.

Excavation area

The Terracotta Army is not the whole discovery. This is only a small part of the vast mausoleum with an area of ​​about 100 square meters. km. Hundreds of underground chambers are filled with sculptures of warriors, birds, animals, acrobats, officials and musicians.

There are also graves where people and horses were buried alive. The warriors, created 2,200 years ago, are surrounded by mysterious burial mounds. The excavation of this gigantic underground complex has changed the understanding of ancient China.

The value of the Terracotta Army

Before the discovery of the Terracotta Army, we knew little about the Qin Empire, and only now we have a complete understanding of how the warriors dressed and what weapons they used. There was no knowledge because almost all writing of that time was destroyed. The oldest surviving description of the Qin Empire dates back almost 100 years after the making of the Terracotta Army. It tells the story of an oppressive empire where scientists are buried alive. However, no ancient source mentions terracotta warriors. They spent over 2000 years in darkness and oblivion. The very fact of their existence was forgotten.

How was the Terracotta Army discovered?

In 1974, in the Chinese province of Shaanxi, local Yan and his neighbors decided to dig a well. While digging in the ground, they came across something that they initially mistook for the edge of a pot.

And then they found bronze objects.
Then they began to come across fragments of some clay products.

Then they came across a statue - the upper part of the armor and the arm were revealed to them. At first they thought it was ancient temple or grave. In China, finding a grave is a bad omen. As it turned out, they made the main archaeological discovery in the last 100 years, since the find belonged to the era of the first emperor.

After some time, other fragments of terracotta were discovered - parts of legs, a body without a head, and even figures of horses. After so much time, they were simply crushed by the ground. All this once rested in three gigantic rooms.

From find to museum

A long restoration process followed, accompanied by numerous discoveries.

After this, the warriors were installed in the main hall. Today there are over 1100 sculptures. But this is only a part of the 6,000 soldiers who were buried here. Over 1000 more soldiers stood in the second and third halls.

The museum director claims that new discoveries are constantly being made. Excavations are being carried out at five sites. In 2009, new excavations began in the main hall. Hundreds of terracotta actors and acrobats have been discovered.

In addition to the broken statues, swords, spearheads and arrowheads were discovered.

What do we know about the creation of the Terracotta Army?

All this was done in 37 years, exactly the same period as Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor and founder of the Qin dynasty, ruled. He became ruler in 246 BC. e. Most likely, it was then that work on this mausoleum began. And this is surprising - after all, for 200 years, the kingdom of Qin waged continuous wars with six neighboring states.

The first emperor defeated them and became the ruler of a state where millions of inhabitants lived. This power was comparable in size to the Roman Empire. He introduced a unified judicial system and currency throughout China, connected cities with a network of roads, and completed the construction of the first one (not to be confused with the wall, built less than 500 years ago). The state that we call China today owes its existence to the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

The Chinese naturally have a hard time coming to terms with the idea that he was a cruel tyrant under whose rule hundreds of thousands of people died. Sima Qian, a writer and historian of the time, describes some of these atrocities - the mass extermination of prisoners of war, the burning of books and the death penalty for criticism. On the other hand, he united China - various states with different languages ​​were forcibly knitted into a single whole.

The construction of a tomb of unprecedented size was to be the emperor's greatest achievement. Research shows that the territory of the mausoleum is larger than originally thought. Since the opening of the main hall, the excavation area has grown greatly. Today they are carried out on an area of ​​over 50 square meters. km.

In the very center of this territory, the emperor ordered a tomb to be erected for himself.
Judging by the chronicles (due to the high concentration of mercury, excavations were not carried out in the tomb), it was located under a mound, the height of which reached 115 m.

Beneath it, in the center of a huge tomb, stood a bronze coffin containing the body of the emperor, who supposedly died from the mercury he took to achieve immortality.

On the floor is a map of rivers and seas, where mercury played the role of water.

The ceiling is decorated with images of celestial bodies.

There is also a model of the relief of China.

The Emperor believed that he could take all this with him into the afterlife. Death is just rebirth, says the famous proverb. All these people, animals and objects were supposed to serve the emperor after death.

The Emperor rests in the very center huge complex, in the same luxury to which he was accustomed in life.

Hundreds of horse graves have also been discovered. Scientists have counted about 600 of them. There are also statues of musicians, acrobats, weightlifters, as well as scientists and scribes. This is not a simple burial place - this is the pleasure palace of the emperor. His spirit could even travel on two chariots. Each was drawn by four bronze horses, richly decorated with harnesses. To protect himself, he ordered the Terracotta Army to be placed on the eastern side, as a barrier between the tomb and the conquered states.

In ancient times, it was believed that the spirits of the emperor's countless victims would seek retribution in the afterlife. The safety of the emperor's spirit was to be ensured by the terracotta warriors buried with their master.

How was the Terracotta Army created?

Viewing the damaged statues sheds some light on their creation. Each of them was sculpted by hand by craftsmen. From their debris and fragments one can see how the torso sculptors applied the clay layer by layer.

In this photo you can see the marks - the master straightened his fingers and began to level the clay. On average, each warrior weighs about 200 kg.

The arms, hands and legs were cast. For the legs, molds intended for the production of pipes were used. This resulted in many different legs and arms, which were combined to achieve variety. The empty mold was filled with clay, covered and left to dry before firing.

A thorough examination convinced scientists that all the faces of the statues were different. Some warriors have light skin, others darker.

Facial hair varies.

They also differ in the shape of their eyes.

Hairstyles are also infinitely different.

There is no doubt that all this is strictly individual. But aren't there repetitions? The shape of the human ear is as unique and unique as fingerprints.

Research has shown that the shapes of the ears of terracotta warriors are different, so warriors differ from each other in the same way as other people. Apparently, the emperor wanted his peace to be guarded by a real army. However, only the most skilled sculptors could give individuality to so many warriors.

This is how warriors were patiently and manually sculpted over 2000 years ago. It took approximately 3 days to make one warrior.

Over the years of careful restoration, museumization and study, scientists have come to the conclusion that at the time of its creation, the Terracotta Army did not look the same as it does today. Faded traces of dyes were found on the clay bodies, hands and heads. This indicates that the warriors were once brightly colored.

This is roughly what they looked like 2200 years ago. Shining rows of war chariots and painted statues in full armor.

Even today, terracotta warriors look terrifying, and once they were terrifying. How were they armed - with real weapons or fake ones (dummy)? The wooden elements have rotted. All that remained were the metal remains of the warriors' weapons.

How were they produced and used?

Scientists conducted an examination which showed that the weapon had been sharpened. Even now it looks quite sharp. This means that mass sharpening of weapons using machine methods was carried out during the Qin Dynasty.

Weapons of the Terracotta Army

The blade of the weapon of the terracotta warriors in an enlarged view.

Only one tool could have left such smooth marks - a whetstone, on which metal blades are sharpened. There are no nicks or large scratches on the blades - this means that these weapons, most likely, were never used, i.e., they were created specifically for the Terracotta Army.

Terracotta warriors stand in strict battle formation.

In the center are infantry armed with massive halberds. In ancient China, this weapon was practically indispensable in battle and was successfully used even against cavalry.

Along with the pike and halberd, ancient Chinese troops used a wide range of weapons, including spears and longswords. But there was one type of weapon in the use of which the Chinese had no equal - bows. Written sources indicate that they invented the crossbow long before the creation of the Qin Empire. It became the perfect weapon of its era.

The original crossbows were not preserved; all that remained were bronze parts found on the floor. This is a working copy. They took place in the center of the infantry for their protection.

Arrowheads are of great importance - more than 40 thousand of them were discovered in excavations. Scientists have found that they consist of bronze - an artificial alloy of copper and tin. It would be more logical to assume that the tips are made from a single piece of bronze. But there is more tin in the tip than in the handle, so that it does not break upon impact. The higher the tin content, the stronger the tip. The presence of a combination of two alloys shows the high level of professionalism of the ancient craftsmen.

Who created the Terracotta Army?

The terrible secret of the construction of the tomb was revealed by a discovery at the far western border of the underground complex. Many graves of workers who died from overwork were discovered here. Next to each skeleton lay a clay tablet with the name of the deceased.

Here is an example of a typical worker's sign. He borrowed money from the state and was unable to repay the debt on time, and then he came to work at a construction site, and as a result, he found his death.
The Qin Empire itself was created through forced labor.

Scientists were able to understand the conditions of labor organization and control over workers:

1. Different teams of workers worked on the production of weapons.

2. There was quality control, that is, a mark was placed on the product about the workers who made the product. If it turned out to be of poor quality, then the workers would face punishment.
Over 450 inscriptions on the warrior figures confirm that the workers were divided into brigades. The names of over 90 foremen have been preserved, each of whom supervised 10 foremen. They were recruited from palace and private workshops.

About control

In the Qin Empire, not only theft and murder were considered a crime, but also unprofessional work. Failure to meet the high quality standards was punished instantly and mercilessly: those responsible were tortured and mutilated, and some were executed. This system was called “legism” and it was terrible. The historiographer Sima Qian described a society where fear reigned, and it was divided into small cells, where everyone watched everyone else, and responsibility was collective. Every 5-10 houses formed their own cell. All residents without exception were punished for failure to report. This system came from the army and was applied on a state scale, that is, artisans and blacksmiths in the empire were subject to its laws.

Criticism

There is a version that the Terracotta Army is not real. That is, the Chinese allegedly faked this army to attract tourists. But this version is implausible, because:

1. Back in 1987, the army was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can't just get on this list.

2. The discovery was made in 1974, during the regime of Mao Zedong. At that time there was no market economy, tourism and other benefits of modern civilization. Accordingly, there was no point in faking anything.

3. Terracotta warriors are constantly being studied by various scientists and archaeologists from different countries. The fake would have been discovered sooner or later.

Museum

The Terracotta Army Museum was built from 1979 to 1994. this moment there are three exhibition halls with a total area of ​​about 190,000 sq.m.
There are two types of museum visitors. Some see beauty in details - they can approach one warrior and admire for a long time the expression on his face, as if alive, or his hairstyle. Others are amazed by the scale of the structure and its secrets. Therefore, if possible, we recommend visiting this place.

Rich and misterious story China, dating back thousands of years, reveals its secrets to humanity. One of these mysteries is Terracotta Army in China, which is considered by many to be one of the eight wonders of the world.

The cruel and ambitious ruler Qin Shi Huang, known in history as the unifier of the lands, declared himself the first emperor of the Qin Empire. Many reforms aimed at establishing unconditional power are associated with it. For example, he established territorial districts, introduced uniform standardization for measuring weights and lengths, writing, construction, and even the width of the axle of carts. In an effort to strengthen power and make it eternal, even after death the emperor wanted to have a powerful army at his disposal. He ordered to bury about 4 thousand young warriors with him. And according to legend, only the inevitability of riots forced the emperor to abandon this idea. The warriors were replaced with clay figurines, and their number was doubled for reliability. The army was deployed to the East, since the ruler felt danger to the Qin Empire from this side. So together with the emperor, in 210-209. BC. An entire army was buried, which numbers about 8,100 warriors, made of terracotta clay with uniforms and horses.

About the history of excavations

Where is the Terracotta Army in China?? Not far from the city of Xi'an in Shengbxi province, peasants came across many clay shards. Such finds were believed to bring bad luck. In 1974, while digging a well, farmer Yan Ji Wang discovered the first clay warrior figure. This was the beginning of a grandiose excavation.

Very soon, scientists realized that an entire army was opening up before them, which had a history of two thousand years. Excavations of this unique “dead army” have been going on for several decades, but much remains hidden, and the mystery has not been fully solved.

Terracotta Army in China located on several tiers. In 1974, the first tier was opened. The vanguard of the army numbers about 6 thousand figures of warriors. After 10 years, the second tier with 2 thousand clay warriors was opened. Another decade later, they discovered the army headquarters, which consisted of figures from the highest military leadership. A little later, statues of musicians, officials, and acrobats were revealed. Since 2009, the newest stage of these grandiose excavations began, which discovered more than 600 different clay statues.

Army sculptures

Legend claims that about 48 concubines and 70 thousand artisans who made the figures were buried with the emperor. Archaeologists have discovered many burials located near the main burial ground. But the most amazing discovery is an army consisting of 8 thousand infantry soldiers, archers and cavalry, which was hidden under the thickness of the earth.

Amazing terracotta warriors had their own characteristics:

• The height of the figures is from 1.78 to 2.01 m, which does not correspond to the height of real people of that time.
• Leading officers are taller than ordinary soldiers.
• All army soldiers are deployed into battle formations. For example, archers stand on one knee, which eliminates possible interference with the shooting of the second row of warriors. This makes it possible to evaluate the military tactical science of that time.
• Each pose and faces of the warriors are different from each other. No two warriors are the same. This gives reason to assume that the living warriors of Emperor Qin served as the clay army in kind.
• It is interesting that clay figurines were depicted not only by Chinese nationality. Among them there are Tibetan and Mongolian types of faces.
• The figures are reproduced with meticulous precision in detail. Clothes, hairstyles, armor, shoes - everything corresponds to that time.
• After making the sculptures, they were fired in kilns at temperatures of more than 1000 degrees. Next, all the figures were painted in natural colors, the remains of which are still partially preserved.
• The main array of warriors has 11 passages, which are separated by walls. The rows on top were covered with tree trunks, covered with mats and a 30 cm layer of cement. All this was covered with a 3-meter layer of earth.

During the excavations, archaeologists faced a difficult task. When removing the paint that covered the figures from the ground, within 5 minutes. dried out, began to burst and crumble. But the task of conservation was found. The figures were placed in a tank with a certain humidity, covered with a special solution and irradiated. Thereby, Terracotta Army in China was preserved in its original form. In 1987, the army of Emperor Qin was included in the specially protected sites of UNCSCO.

Visiting China, along with the Great Chinese Wall and Shaolin Monastery, a must-see museum in Xi'an. A grandiose spectacle will appear before you - a huge army of ancient warriors with weapons, horsemen on chariots, skillfully sculpted by the ancient masters of China.

A special stamp was placed on each part, which showed which workshop made it. If there was a defect, it was immediately clear who was to blame and who to punish. Considering the temperament of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, most likely the first defective part was the last for the master.

You can see all this with your own eyes if you visit this funerary complex in the city of Xi'an.

Weapons of the Terracotta Soldiers

Although the soldiers were made of clay, they gave them real weapons. Unfortunately, very few weapons have survived. Firstly, the burial complex was robbed several times. Secondly, metal is preserved much worse than ceramics, and many objects are completely rotten.

But even a small amount of weapons gave scientists many reasons to be surprised. For example, arrowheads made in different parts of China were almost the same size. That is, already in the 3rd century BC. The Chinese introduced unification in the production of weapons. This is amazing.

Thanks to the Terracotta Army, we now have a very good idea of ​​how the soldiers of that time were equipped, what weapons they fought, how they formed on the battlefield and what tactics they followed.

Where to see the Terracotta Army

Almost all the soldiers are located where they were dug up by archaeologists. Place archaeological excavations is located 10 kilometers from the city of Xiyan. This is enough Big City with a population of 8.5 million people. You can come here from Russia, but only from Moscow. There are quite a few tourists choosing Xi'an as their main travel destination, although the city has many attractions.

If you wish, you can get here from. You will cover a distance of 1200 kilometers in 6 hours. Some even try to see the Terracotta Army “in one day,” that is, arrive on the morning “high-speed” and leave in the evening.

We do not recommend this method. First high-speed train(pictured left) arrives from Beijing to Xi'an Station at 13:00, and the last one leaves here at 18:00. You will only have 5 hours, and this will only be enough to look at the Terracotta Army “with one eye.”

In addition, it is an expensive way to travel, as a one-way ticket costs 500 (at the time of writing, May 2015). In both directions it turns out to be about 1000 yuan per person.

Tickets for a regular train in a compartment are half the price, but you will spend 14 hours on the train one way, for a total of 28 hours. Such a loss of time is unacceptable for many tourists.

There is the most budget method– is to buy seat place V on a regular train. If you are not afraid to sit in an uncomfortable chair for 14 hours, then such a ticket will cost you only 150 yuan one way.

We think it's worth flying to Xi'an as your main travel destination. The city is beautiful, you won't regret it. And take your time to see the Terracotta Army, and you will see the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and many other interesting things.

If you don't want to go to Xi'an, but really want to see the Terracotta Army, then there is a compromise solution. These clay soldiers can be viewed in museums around the country. They are permanently exhibited in Beijing on.