March 29 in History
1974 – Terracotta Army is discovered in Shaanxi province, China
The Terracotta Army, a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China was discovered on this day in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi’an, Shaanxi, China.
A form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife, the figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE, vary in height according to their roles, the tallest being the generals.
The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army hold more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remain in situ in the pits near Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians.
Photo Caption – Terracotta Army, nr. Xi’an – Wikipedia