China is such a vast country with an incredibly long and colorful history, there are too many wonderful things to even list. You'll be seeing a lot of blogs about China in the coming months. Thank you for bearing with me.
THE GREAT ARCHEOLOGICAL FIND OF THE 20TH CENTURY
Unearthing the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, China, is one of the most significant archeological discoveries of the 20th century. The buried mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, was discovered in 1974 in the Linton District of Xi’an by local farmers digging a well.
This photo shows, more or less, how the terrain looked when the discovery was made, even though, in some articles, it is described as a piece of barren wasteland.
The discovery quickly drew the attention of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and soon a full scale excavation began. Qin Shi Huang’s burial complex is very large – an estimated 21 square miles -- making it hard to believe the monumental construction lay forgotten for nearly two thousand years. While it is true archeologists continually find artifacts, structures, and cities from humanity’s ancient past, they usually have an idea what they are looking for. No one was even looking for this one.
QIN SHI HUANG, THE FIRST EMPEROR OF CHINA
Ying Zheng [259 BC – 210 BC] was prince of the State of Qin. At thirteen-years-old, Ying became a boy king and began the construction of his tomb. At the age of thirty-eight he conquered all the warring kingdoms and states of China in 221 B.C. and became Qin Shi Huang, First Emperor of China. He is remembered for his military acumen and interest in object of beauty and sophistication. He is also remembered for his brutality and his suppression of Confucianism.
His tomb was completed in 208 BCE, shortly before he died or maybe because he died, and is comprised of more than just a burial chamber but a large complex including everything that a king might need in the afterlife – army, servants, chariots, household implements and decorations – everything to help him rule his empire. All full sized.
This practice is similar to the Egyptian burial of their pharaohs, although the pyramids at Giza predate the Terracotta army by about 2,000 years. The armies, servants, etc. buried with the pharaohs were miniature figures.
Portrait of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of Qin Dynasty
from an 18th-century album of Chinese emperors' portraits.
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
The entire burial site, including the warriors, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. Although the discovery was made nearly fifty years ago, archeologists still are not sure of the ultimate size of the complex. While the map below is too small to read in detail, notice the center right markings indicating vaults [pits] 1, 2, and 3. That is the extension of the excavation so far.
Four major “pits” had been excavated and restored when I was there in the early 2000s. Many more years of excavation are required to unearth the parts they know about. While it seems a long time, imagine the initial uncovering, digging out, matching the ruins, and rebuilding them.
The Site Map Workers tagging parts of broken figures Original State after digging down to statues
The life-sized warriors vary in height [according to role and rank] and facial features. The tallest were the generals and height descends by rank, but the facial features are believed to represent actual individuals. Each of the warriors has a unique face. Originally, the figures were painted, but only a small number have been found with the original brilliant colors.
The buried army also includes full-scale chariots and horses, as well as other non-military statues necessary to the emperor's afterlife, including acrobats, officials, and musicians. These were found in separate pits from the army itself.
Estimates from 2007 indicate pits 1, 2, and 3 hold more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen, musicians, and servants [with probably slaves thrown in for good measure]. Everyone and everything needed to serve the Emperor in the afterlife.
Scholars theorize, based on clues left by Sima Qian, a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty, that some of the craftsmen who had worked on mechanical devices designed to prevent entry into the burial chamber met unfortunate deaths. They had observed the treasures in the Qin Shi Huang tomb and could not be trusted with those secrets. Once they placed the emperor inside the tomb, the passage was blocked. Possibly the craftsmen who knew the secrets remained inside and died beside their leader.
Geological finds prove the theory that the tomb was looted in ancient times and the weapons and figures broken and burned. Another Military leader, Xiang Yu, is suspected of the arson and looting, so it must have occurred not long after the demise of the emperor.
The size and relationship of the pits is shown in the diagram below. Remember, the four pits excavated so far are represented by the small indications to the middle left of the of the complex drawing above.
Pit 1 - Photo: Will Clayton Pit 1 - Photo source: Pit 2 - Restored
● Pit 2 comprises 7,176 square yards and contains more complex combat formations of over eighty war chariots and 1,300 warriors and horses, and thousands of bronze weapons. It describes a scene consisting of cavalries, chariots armies, infantries, and archer units. Based on the postures, two is thought to be a special troops pit.
Apparently, this is where most of the painted warriors have been found. The excavation has been very slow because at present there are no efficient techniques for preserving and maintaining colored terracotta. Once unearthed, the color fades within minutes.
● Pit 3 contains only 68 warriors, 1 chariot drawn by 4 horses, and 30 mace heads. Although Pit 3 is smaller than the others, excavations were completed there because it had not been burned, as had Pits 1 and 2 so the contents are in better shape.
Pit 3 - Photo: https://www.topchinatravel.com/xian/what-is-terracotta-warriors.htm
When one of our tour group asked the guide why the others hadn’t been excavated, he replied that they would not be touched until the work underway was completed. That way, future archeologists would have something to do.
WHY THE TOMB REMAINS UNOPENED
There is an ongoing debate in China that has delayed the complete excavation of the Qin Shi Huang tomb. Some people maintain that an excavation is immediately necessary due to the potential for seismic activity in the region. But others argue that China does not yet possess the technology or ability to carry out the exploration properly. There is also trepidation, as stories tell of entryways that have booby traps to prevent access to the tomb, and high levels of mercury could pose a health risk.
While these arguments continue, deep within the magnificent mausoleum of the First Emperor of China the remains of Qin Shi Huang still await the promise of immortality. Perhaps he has attained it after all. True immortality rests in the minds of men and in the preservation of history.
When I was there in 2001, one of the original farmers who made the discovery was in the gift shop signing books. At least, that’s what we were told. I’ve learned to take everything guides tell tourists with a large grain of salt. I seriously doubt it was the man wrote the book, but he smiled up a storm and signed his name to every one. Agewise, he looked like he might have been a farmer in 1974, but it’s just as likely he was a member of the family or maybe even a complete stranger.
I didn’t buy the book, which I regret, but I did purchase terra cotta replicas of some of the figures (each about 8 inches tall) and hauled them back to California. We had strick weight limits flying on the Chinese airline, so they were a real pain. I nearly had a stroke when I got home and found the very same figurines in Pier 1 Imports for less than I paid in China. What a bummer!
DESTRUCTION OF THE GREAT WALL
Book 3 of the Tour Director Extraordinaire Series
By R. Ann Siracusa
I'm Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. At last, one of my fondest wishes has come true! Will Talbot, my favorite Super Spy and the love of my life, wants to include me in his covert mission to recover a list of double agents for the US government.
Wow! Usually, I want to know everything, and he can't tell me anything. Now, I'll be part of the action. I am so-o going to love this!
Not that I have a big role. I only have to pretend we're husband and wife when he accompanies me on my China tour. The tour group members are strangers we'll never see again, and we can spend three intimate weeks together. I mean, how hard can that be?
Surprise, surprise! My parents show up on the tour as replacements for some cancellations. Now, we have to lie and tell them we're married to protect Will's cover. And then, other problems erupt when terrorists kidnap me and my mother to lure Will into a trap. Not to mention the damage my assault rifle does to the Great Wall... Oh, man. It wasn't my fault. Really!
Will fired off a six-shot burst. “Get down!” he shouted and dropped prone into the tall grass and out of sight. There was no other cover here — nowhere else to go.
I dove onto my stomach after him, but not before I took a heavy painful blow to the chest.
“Aii!” My body slammed into the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me. The soft wet earth sent splatters of mud across my goggles. With all the air whooshed out of my lungs, I couldn’t breathe and lay there gasping for oxygen. I couldn’t think.
Three projectiles whizzed past my head in rapid succession.
Ohmigod! Time to get out of here. Vision impaired, I scrambled in the direction I thought Will had gone. My elbows and knees dug into the ground, dragging my body on my stomach through the wet grass, my automatic weapon clutched in both hands in front of me.
Zing. This was no fun at all. Where was he? My heart pounded against my ribcage. Sharp pain stabbed through me with each breath. My aching hands knotted around my rifle. Black dots cavorted in front of my eyes and everything had fuzzy edges. I sucked in a big gulp of air ― along with it a small bug.
“Aah-ugh!” I tried to spit it out but already the critter fluttered its wings in my throat. Coughing, I buried my face against my arm to muffle the sound. Before I could stop hacking, a hand grasped my ankle and pulled me into a pit behind a bunker.
“Eek!” I smashed down on top of a warm body. A nice hard, well-muscled body. One I recognized by feel and scent. “You did that on purpose.”
“Shh.” Will waited long enough for both of us to relish our position, then rolled me off onto my rear end.
I pulled away and sat up, then collapsed with my back against the dirt wall of the ditch. He studied me for a long moment ― although I couldn’t see his expression through the protective gear ― then pulled some sort of spy instrument out of his backpack and fiddled.
Will crouched behind the bunker, peering into the periscope-like tool. He whipped around. “You’ve been hit.” His tight voice conveyed alarm.
Jeez, did he need to lighten up, or what? I threw down my automatic Spyder MR2, pulled off my facemask and helmet, sent them rattling to the ground beside the weapon, and then stared down at the damp red stain on the front of my shirt.
“Right. And it hurts like the devil.”