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Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum
5. Making Process of Terra Cotta Army
6. Weaponry of Terra Cotta Army
Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum is located about 1.5 km east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum and 37 km from Xi'an city.
In the early spring of 1974, a number of peasants accidentally discovered some ancient bronze weapons and pieces of broken terra cotta armored warriors while sinking a well at the northern foot of Mt. Lishan, 35 km from Xi'an.No one ever expected that this accidental discovery would prove to be one of the most significant modern archaeological finds, adding greater understanding to China's history and at the same time unfolding a unique and majestic spectacle before the world: the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, the underground army of terra cotta warriors.
The museum contains three pits which shape a close-triangle form. They were Pit1, Pit 2 and Pit3, which was respectively named in order of discovery. Pit 1 contained chariots and ranks of six thousand soldiers. Pit 2 held fourteen hundred figures of cavalrymen, horses and infantrymen, along with ninety wooden chariots. Pit 3 contained about seventy figures.
Archaeological excavations show that Pit 1 and Pit 2 were destroyed after a fire. It was burnt down and who did it was not the academic world. The floors of both Pit 1 and Pit 2 were covered with a layer of silt, 15to 20 centimeters thick. The remains of crossbeams and logs burnt to ashes can be clearly seen and most of the relics remain fragmented. This illustrates that the pits were destroyed soon after they were completed. According to historical records, four years after the First Qin Emperor’s death, Xiang Yu came, and “burnt the palaces and dug up the grave”. Archaeological discoveries also proved that there are many broken bricks and tiles piled up inside the ruins of the ground structure of the mausoleum, with burnt clay, coal and ash traces. The pits are only 1.5 kilometers away from the mausoleum, so it was perhaps destroyed together with other structures within the tomb area by Xiang Yu.
In December 1980, two sets of large painted bronze chariots and horses were unearthed 20 meters west of the First Qin Emperor’s Mausoleum. They were labeled as No.1 Chariot and No.2 Chariot respectively by the order of discovery. They had then been enclosed in a wooden coffin and buried in a pit seven meters deep. When excavated, the chariots and horses were .jpg)
seriously damaged due to the decayed wooden coffin and the collapse of earthen layers. No. 2 bronze chariot and horses were found broken into 1,555 pieces when excavated. After two-and a half years of careful and painstaking restoration by archaeologists and other experts, they were finally open to the public on October 1, 1983. No. 1 bronze chariot and horses were also open to the public in 1988.
seriously damaged due to the decayed wooden coffin and the collapse of earthen layers. No. 2 bronze chariot and horses were found broken into 1,555 pieces when excavated. After two-and a half years of careful and painstaking restoration by archaeologists and other experts, they were finally open to the public on October 1, 1983. No. 1 bronze chariot and horses were also open to the public in 1988.The terracotta army is one of the most spectacular archaeological finds of the 20th century. Now, the museum can receive about 3 million tourists annually. Approximately 70 million visitors from home and abroad have visited the Museum within the last 30 years. Today "the Eighth Wonder of The World" has almost become synonym of the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses In 1987, the Emperor Qin's Mausoleum was put on the list of the UNESCO as a world-class cultural heritage site. Now the Museum is well-known widely as a huge modern on-site museum and it is going to be one of the best in the world.
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Pit.1, discovered in May 1974, is the largest of the three pits. It is 230 meters long from east to west, 62 meters wide from north to south with a total area of 14,260 square meters. The depth fluctuates between 4.5 and 6.5 meters. It is an earth-and-wood structure in the shape of tunnel. Five entries were found on each side. Those on the eastern side are the main entrance. Eleven parallel passageways, which are separated by ten rammed partition walls, stretch through the vault from east to west. The terra-cotta warriors and horses in Pit No.1 are arrayed in a practical battle formation. Three lines of terra-cotta warriors in battle tunics and puttees stand in east end of the pit, 70 in each, totaling 210 altogether. Armed with bows and arrows, they constitute the vanguard.
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Immediately behind them are 38 rows of armed soldiers with war chariots at various intervals. These warriors, armor-clad, holding long-shaft weapons are probably the main body of the formation and represent the principal force. There is one row of warriors in the south, north and west of the corridor respectively, facing outward. They are probably the flanks and the rear guard. Holding crossbows and arrows and other long-distance shooting weapons, they took up the job of defending the whole battle formation.There are altogether 27 trial trenches in Pit 1. According to estimation, there will be 6,000 warriors and horses in Pit No.1, most of which are infantrymen.
Typical figures include: An armor clad general, armored soldiers, tunic-infantrymen and war chariots.
Pit 2 is located 20 meters north of Pit 1. It is a vertically upturned 'L' shape and consists of four military sections, namely, infantry, cavalry, archers and charioteers. The Pit 2 covers a area of 6,000 square meters. It is estimated that there will be over 1,000 pieces of pottery figures, 500 horse-drawn chariots and saddled horses. The pit is measured 6,000 square meters.
In the first section, the easternmost position, a cache of archers lay in wait. One hundred and sixty heavily armed kneeling archers lined in four intervals are surrounded by one hundred and seventy two standing archers. The formation greatly enhances the defensive strength to the army.
The second square serves as the chariot base. Here, sixty-four war chariots were divided into eight groups. Each had a charioteer with a soldier on each flank. This formation, known as "light chariots," was an innovation on the original use of chariots, which had an additional squad of infantrymen. The new formation enabled the chariots to move faster.
Six chariots accompanied by cavalrymen were positioned in the northern most camp. This camp was divided into eight groups. The fourth section, located in the center, was for chariots, infantrymen and cavalrymen. Nineteen chariots were divided into three columns, six in the first and the third and seven in the second column. A figure of a general was found in one chariot and the rear guard of the formation comprised thirty-two infantrymen and eight cavalrymen. It is thought that the cavalrymen acted as messengers.
In the first section, the easternmost position, a cache of archers lay in wait. One hundred and sixty heavily armed kneeling archers lined in four intervals are surrounded by one hundred and seventy two standing archers. The formation greatly enhances the defensive strength to the army. The second square serves as the chariot base. Here, sixty-four war chariots were divided into eight groups. Each had a charioteer with a soldier on each flank. This formation, known as "light chariots," was an innovation on the original use of chariots, which had an additional squad of infantrymen. The new formation enabled the chariots to move faster.
Six chariots accompanied by cavalrymen were positioned in the northern most camp. This camp was divided into eight groups. The fourth section, located in the center, was for chariots, infantrymen and cavalrymen. Nineteen chariots were divided into three columns, six in the first and the third and seven in the second column. A figure of a general was found in one chariot and the rear guard of the formation comprised thirty-two infantrymen and eight cavalrymen. It is thought that the cavalrymen acted as messengers.
Pit No.3 is located 25 meters to the north of Pit 1 and to the west of Pit 2. Measuring 28.8 meters from east to west, 24.6 meters from north to south, the concave-shaped pit covers an area of 520 square meters.
Out of the pit were unearthed one chariot, four terra-cotta
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horses and 68 clay armored warriors. To its east there is a sloping entrance, 11.2 meters long, 3.7 meters wide, opposite which is a chariot and horse house. On both sides of the house, there is a winging room, in which were unearthed 64 pottery figurines. The arrangement of the pottery figurines is quite different from those in Pit 1 and Pit 2 in which the warriors are placed in the battle formation. But those in Pit 3 are arrayed opposite to each other along the walls, in two rows. Even the weapons held by the warriors in Pit 3 were only discovered one kind of weapon called "shu", which had no blades and are believed to be used by the guards of honor. Unearthed also in this pit was a remaining sacrificial of offerings and war prayers were practiced. Judging by the layout of the pit, it is likely the headquarters of the garrison, exercising military control over men contained in the other two pits.
Bronze chariots housed in the exhibition hall to the left-hand side of the hangar built over Pit One are two magnificent bronze chariots.
Originally buried 20 meters west of the Emperor's mausoleum, two chariots faced west in large 7-meter-long (23 feet in length) and 2.3 meters wide (7.54 feet in width) wooden coffins. They were thought to be half the actual size and were supposed to serve as the vehicle for the emperor's inspection tours in his afterlife. The colorful square carriages are decorated with geometric and cloud patterns. Coachmen armed with swords guard the chariots on both sides.
The No. 1 Chariot, presumably the leading chariot, was named “High Chariot”. It measured 2.25 meters (7.38 feet) in length, 1 meter (3.27 feet) in height. This chariot often referred to as the "inspection carriage", ran before that of the emperor. The vanguard chariot drawn by four muscular horses, which wear gold girths and facial ornaments, has no compartment with an opening at the rear as an exit. The white-painted horses with tassels hanging down the necks have cropped manes and plaited tails. Their heads are held high and look forward; the horses seem ready to gallop. To accommodate the charioteer, the canopy is correspondingly much higher than that of the No. 2 Chariot. No.1 Chariot was equipped with crossbows, arrowheads and shields. The charioteer wore a hat. This shows that it was employed to protect the No.2 Chariot behind.
No. 2 Chariot, is larger than the No. 1 Chariot. Named Anche (Security Chariot), or “Air-conditioned Chariot”, No. 2 Chariot has a front room and a back room, between which there is a partition. The front room is supposed to be for the charioteer and the rear one for the master (emperor). The charioteer sitting in front room is 51 centimeters tall clothed in a garment. His expression shows both the pride and nervousness due to the presence of the emperor. There is a window on either side with a door at the back. The windows and doors could close and open easily. The small holes in the windows were used for ventilation. On top of the chariot, there was an elliptical umbrella-like canopy. The chariot was color-painted against a while background. The interior ceiling was decorated with stylized clouds and from silk fragments discovered inside, it is assumed that cushions or quilts had once made the royal passenger comfortable. No.2 Chariot was fitted with more than 1,500 pieces of silver and gold and other ornaments. Probably it was used for Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s soul to go out on inspection.
The chariots and horses are exactly the imitations of actual chariots and horses in half life-size. Each chariot with horses is composed of 3,400 components. The bronze horse is 65-67 centimeters high, 1.2 meters long. Their weights vary from 177 kilograms, the lightest, to 212.9 kilograms, the heaviest. The total weight of the chariot, the horses and the driver is 1,243 kilograms. The main body is cast in bronze. There are altogether 1,243 kilograms. The main body is cast in bronze. There are altogether 1,720 pieces of gold and silver ornaments on the chariots and horses, with a total weight of seven kilograms of silver and gold wares. The umbrella-like canopy on the top is only four millimeters thick, and the window is one millimeter thick, with many ventilation holes. The horse tassels were made of bronze thread as thin as hair, whose diameter is only 0.1 millimeter. The horse necklaces were welded together with 42 nodes of gold and 42 nodes of silver. Archaeologists can see the welding joints only with a magnifier. The horses halters, made up of a gold tube and a sliver tube, were joined with snap fasteners. In the halters, there is a pin. When the pin was pulled out, the halters could be removed completely. According to preliminary research, the making of the bronze chariots and horses involves different techniques such as casting, welding, riveting, mounting, embedding and carving. The assembly of the chariots required exquisite skill to apply various components properly to the principal part. It is considered to be a demanding job even today.
The chariots and horses are exactly the imitations of actual chariots and horses in half life-size. Each chariot with horses is composed of 3,400 components. The bronze horse is 65-67 centimeters high, 1.2 meters long. Their weights vary from 177 kilograms, the lightest, to 212.9 kilograms, the heaviest. The total weight of the chariot, the horses and the driver is 1,243 kilograms. The main body is cast in bronze. There are altogether 1,243 kilograms. The main body is cast in bronze. There are altogether 1,720 pieces of gold and silver ornaments on the chariots and horses, with a total weight of seven kilograms of silver and gold wares. The umbrella-like canopy on the top is only four millimeters thick, and the window is one millimeter thick, with many ventilation holes. The horse tassels were made of bronze thread as thin as hair, whose diameter is only 0.1 millimeter. The horse necklaces were welded together with 42 nodes of gold and 42 nodes of silver. Archaeologists can see the welding joints only with a magnifier. The horses halters, made up of a gold tube and a sliver tube, were joined with snap fasteners. In the halters, there is a pin. When the pin was pulled out, the halters could be removed completely. According to preliminary research, the making of the bronze chariots and horses involves different techniques such as casting, welding, riveting, mounting, embedding and carving. The assembly of the chariots required exquisite skill to apply various components properly to the principal part. It is considered to be a demanding job even today.
Both the chariots were the limousines of that period and this oppugns the theory that bronze culture declined after the Shang Dynasty - the golden age of bronze in China. The superb metallurgical and shaping technology of the Qin was discernible. The chariots were mostly bronze decorated with gold and silver mounts.
The bronze chariots and horses were the earliest and most exquisitely and intricately made bronze valuables. They enjoy the highest class and have the most complete harnessing wares. They are also the largest bronze wares discovered in the history of world archaeology. The excavation of the bronze chariots and horses provides extremely valuable material and data for the textual research of the metallurgical technique, the mechanism of chariots and technological modeling of the Qin Dynasty.
Pottery figures first appeared in the Warring States Period in China, but they were small in size and roughly made with low .jpg)
mperature. The Qin terracotta warriors and horses were not only big in size, but also exquisite in craftsmanship. The height of the terracotta warriors varies from 1.78 meters (the shortest) to 1.97 meters (the tallest). Their weights are also different. The lightest is less than 110 kilograms and the heaviest 300 kilograms. In order to keep the balance of the terracotta warriors, the workmen in the Qin Dynasty added a pedal to each warrior under his feet, so that the warriors would stand more firmly. The foot pedals were made in molds. The feet, shoes, legs and armors of the warriors were made by hand. Some legs are hollow, and some are solid. The solid ones are made separately, but the hollow ones are made through a method called “coiling clay rope”. The bodies of the warriors are all hollow, made with the previously-mentioned method. Some are made separately and then joined together to complete the work.
mperature. The Qin terracotta warriors and horses were not only big in size, but also exquisite in craftsmanship. The height of the terracotta warriors varies from 1.78 meters (the shortest) to 1.97 meters (the tallest). Their weights are also different. The lightest is less than 110 kilograms and the heaviest 300 kilograms. In order to keep the balance of the terracotta warriors, the workmen in the Qin Dynasty added a pedal to each warrior under his feet, so that the warriors would stand more firmly. The foot pedals were made in molds. The feet, shoes, legs and armors of the warriors were made by hand. Some legs are hollow, and some are solid. The solid ones are made separately, but the hollow ones are made through a method called “coiling clay rope”. The bodies of the warriors are all hollow, made with the previously-mentioned method. Some are made separately and then joined together to complete the work.There are also two kinds of arms: hollow and solid. The hollow arms are made by the ring-building method, and the solid ones are made separately. There are two ways of making the hands: molding and hand-shaping. The most sophisticated technique of processing is the heads. Two molds are use first of all to make faces and most parts of the heads, and the two parts are joined together. Ears and noses which are made separately are added later on. The roughly made models are carved exquisitely in detail according to their personal strata and characters. Finally, moustache and hair in various styles are made. After careful and detailed engraving, the terracotta warriors look vivid, different in appearance and expressions. It is presumed that these warriors were made according to the real valiant Qin army soldiers.
After the terracotta warriors were readily made, they were put into kilns to be fired. In order to prevent the warriors from deforming or exploding, one, two or even three small holes were made in the body of the warriors and horses. After the horses were fired, the .jpg)
small holes in the body were covered with terracotta cakes of the same size. Most of the terracotta heads were fit in the body after being fired, so the necks of the terracotta heads were natural ventilation holes. Thus, the air stream produced in the firing process of the terracotta warriors and horses could escape, and the figures would not explode. The clay figures were carefully painted with colors after they were baked. As the terracotta figures have been burnt and gone through a natural process of decay, we can’t see their original gorgeous colors. However, most of the figures bear the traces of the original colors, and a few of them are still as bright as new. They are found to be painted with mineral dye stuffs of red, green, yellow, purple, brown, white, black, pink, vermilion, etc. This demonstrates that the Chinese working people used these dye stuffs extensively over 2,000 years ago. It is of great significance not only in the history of color-painting art, but also in the history of world science and technology.
small holes in the body were covered with terracotta cakes of the same size. Most of the terracotta heads were fit in the body after being fired, so the necks of the terracotta heads were natural ventilation holes. Thus, the air stream produced in the firing process of the terracotta warriors and horses could escape, and the figures would not explode. The clay figures were carefully painted with colors after they were baked. As the terracotta figures have been burnt and gone through a natural process of decay, we can’t see their original gorgeous colors. However, most of the figures bear the traces of the original colors, and a few of them are still as bright as new. They are found to be painted with mineral dye stuffs of red, green, yellow, purple, brown, white, black, pink, vermilion, etc. This demonstrates that the Chinese working people used these dye stuffs extensively over 2,000 years ago. It is of great significance not only in the history of color-painting art, but also in the history of world science and technology.The pits are located to the east of the First Qin Emperor’s Mausoleum, symbolizing the main defending force that guarded the Qin capital, Xianyang. All the terracotta figures in the pits face east with practical weapons. This shows that the First Qin Emperor would never forget his great ambition to conquer the six states and to unify the whole nation. Thousands of real weapons were unearthed from the pits, including broad knives, swords, spears, dagger-axes, halberds, cross-bows, arrows, and 
arrow heads. The weapons can be classified into four categories: long-shafted weapons, short weapons, long-range weapons and weapons for guards of honor. They were delicately made and enjoyed a high level of casting technology.
arrow heads. The weapons can be classified into four categories: long-shafted weapons, short weapons, long-range weapons and weapons for guards of honor. They were delicately made and enjoyed a high level of casting technology.The most arresting among the weapons is a bronze sword, which still glitters in metallic luster without being rusting, though buried underground for over 2,000 years. Being very sharp, the sword can cut through 20 pieces of paper put together. Technical examination reveals that the sword is composed of an alloy of copper and tin, and more than ten other rare metals. It is plated with a thin layer (10-15 microns) of oxidated chromium, which proves that the weapon was oxidated with chromium when it was made. The technology of chromium coating was invented by a German in the 1930’s, but in China chromium-coating technique was employed in the making of weapons over 2,000 year ago. It is really a wonder and compels admiration.
Hundreds of crossbow triggers were also discovered in the pits. Their bolts and suspending knives can be used interchangeably, with a tolerance error of one millimeter. The arrowheads are divided into four kinds. The outline of the three sides of the arrow heads of the same kind has a tolerance error of 0.15 millimeter. From this, we can see that weapon manufacturing was already standardized just to meet the war needs. This also shows that the metallurgical technology and weapon-making technique reached a high standard in the Qin Dynasty.
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