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The Tomb of Qin Shihuang Di My father told me a story once that, in 1974, he stood on a small dirt road in China, watching two farmers dig a well. Some time into the work, he saw them find in the earth what would lead to a wide scale e ca!ation of the land and the disco!ery of what is often considered "the eighth wonder of the world.# $he story is accurate with the possi%le e ception, of course, that my father was actually there to witness the initial disco!ery of the tom% of the &irst 'ea!enly (mperor )in Shihuang. &i!e kilometers east of the city of Lintong, a kilometer north of Li mountain and *ust south of the +ei ,i!er lies this final testament of an emperor-s unparalleled power. a gra!e /0, 122 s3uare meters in area. $his gra!e consists most nota%ly of a gra!e mound 4tumulus5 two ramparts, and four giant pits. $he ramparts enclose the gra!e mound, one %eing the inner rampart and one %eing the outer. $he inner rampart measures 1,200 meters and the outer rampart measures /,170 949 meters. $he foundations of the 016

ramparts are, for the most part, the only remaining indication that they e!er e isted, and are 1 meters wide. (ach side of the rampart has one doorway, with the e ception of the inner, which has two on its north side. $his e tra doorway leads to the partitioned, northeast 3uarter of the inner rampart-s area. $he south wall of the partition also has a doorway, making for 16 doorways total. +ithin the inner rampart, at it-s south wall, lies the gra!e mound of )in Shihuang. +hile the tumulus now measures 010 meters north to south and 410 meters east to west 4a perimeter of /,666 meters5 and 77 meters high, historical accounts mark the height as more than 110 meters high and the perimeter to %e greater than /,066 meters. 8ccording to the historical record "Shi*i, )in Shihuang %en*i# %y Sima )ian, the

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gra!e cham%er was erected %y some 766,666 forced la%orers in addition to artisans and craftsmen who were working of their own free will. "$hey closed up the outer casket with melted copper, and filled the gra!e cham%er with models of palaces, towers and the 'undred 9ffices in addition to !alua%le !essels and precious stones and wonderful treasures. Cross%ows with mechanical automatic releases offered protection from intruders. $he country-s !arious waterways, the :angt;e and the :ellow ,i!er as well as the ocean itself, were imitated in 3uicksil!er <mercury= and a mechanical de!ice produced the flowing wa!es. 8%o!e the stars and the firmament were depicted, %elow a geographically realistic relief of the earth. Lamps filled with whale oil %urned permanently.# 4)in Shihuang. $he $erracotta 8rmy of the &irst Chinese (mperor p225. >t has yet to %e opened up. ?uildings e ca!ated northwest of the gra!e mound, outside of the outer rampart, pro%a%ly ser!ed as @dwelling hallsA# %uildings where the emperor-s possessions of daily use were kept and offerings could %e made. 8lso thought to %e dwelling halls are the %uildings that were disco!ered northwest of the tumulus, %etween the outer and inner ramparts. 8lso in %etween the ramparts, %ut to the west, are 12 depositories of gra!e furnishings, consisting of small, clay, kneeling sta%lemen as well as an angular horse gra!e. Bear%y, rare animals and %irds are %uried in 11 pits, with clay food and %rass rings attached to them, thought to ha!e sym%oli;ed the royal garden. 8nother 21 gra!es of a similar nature can %e located slightly to the south of the inner west gate, guarded %y clay wardens.

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8t the southwest corner of the comple , 266 horses were %uried in wooden coffins with clay grooms standing guard. More horse remains can %e found 206 meters east of the outer rampart, where 92 gra!es of clay sta%lemen, horse skeletons and !arious tools represent the royal sta%les. 9nly a few meters from there, 17 gra!es of human remains are arranged in one row going BorthCSouth. $hose %uried were pro%a%ly of high social status, %e it highCranking ci!il ser!ants or mem%ers of the family. $hey were pro%a%ly e ecuted with the ascension of the second emperor after )in Shihuang to the throne. 1766 meters from the gra!e mound, southwest of the outer rampart, are / gra!e sites where the la%orers are %uried, while only /6 meters west of the tumulus, two %ron;e chariots drawn %y four %ron;e horses lie underground, ready if the spirit of the emperor wishes to ride around this comple . 8ll of this pro%a%ly lends some scope to the si;e of the gra!e site and the thought that went into this !erita%le necropolis, %ut in Bo!em%er of 1974, the most impressi!e part of this great endea!or, certainly it-s trademark, was e ca!atedA 066 soldiers, /4 horses and %ron;e weapons. $his was the start of what is now la%eled Dit 1. $here are two more pits containing artifacts similar and *ust as aweCinspiring and a fourth pit that seemed intended for the same cargo %ut was left empty, pro%a%ly not finished in time for the death of the emperor. $hey were all found and e ca!ated %y 1977. $he pits themsel!es were constructed with solidity and permanence in mind. $he walls consisted of pounded earth, as hard as concrete, held together %y wooden frames. $he roof carried layers of mortar and earth three meters thick. $he floor was also made of pounded earth and then layered o!er with tiles. 8t the front of the pits are ramps. $he

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terracotta clay soldiers, as they were finished, were pro%a%ly transported down these ramps and into the pits, which were then, when full, co!ered. $his leads us to %elie!e that no one, including the emperor, saw what archaeologists would disco!er to %e an entire royal army. +ithin these pits are not figures that merely represent an army. ,ather, the pits contain thousands of terracotta soldiers and horses, %ron;e and wooden chariots, and weapons, %its, %ridles and reins of %attleCworthy 3uality, all life si;e, made to ser!e the spirit of the departed emperor. $he army e!en stands in %attle formation. Dit one, containing warriors and horses, would %e the main portion of the army. Dit two, with ca!alry, infantry units and war chariots would %e the military guard. $he smaller Dit 2, containing a chariot drawn %y 4 horses and highCranking officers and their su%ordinates, is the command post. $he soldiers carried spears, hal%erds, daggerCa es, swords, cross%ows and arrowsA some of those %lades are still ra;or sharp. $he work done on this terracotta army is an e hi%ition of great care and craftsmanship. $he clothes, armor and faces were all car!ed and worked with great attention to the details of the people and o%*ects that they were taken from. &acial e pressions and types, in particular, !aried largely. $he craftsmanship of these faces is so well e ecuted that one could actually identify, %ased on facial features, what regions of China one of these soldiers 4if of flesh and not clay5 would ha!e %een drafted from. &or e ample, some warrior with a large mouth, thick lips, %road forehead and round chin, with an honest and simple look a%out him, could %e said to %e from the present day Shaan i pro!ince.

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$hanks to this attention to detail, the terracotta army can %e categori;ed many different ways, %e it %y rank in the army, facial type or %ody type. $o start, the chariots can %e di!ided into four categories. Command chariots: these are lu uriously e3uipped, lac3uered in %lack and decorated with geometric patterns. &rom the %aldachins hang drums and %ells. $hese chariots are manned %y a charioteer at the center, a general to the left and the charioteers ad*utant to the right. Auxiliary chariots: these chariots are similar to the "command# type %ut ha!e no %aldachin. 9nly a charioteer and his ad*utant ride in these. Esually three people would ride in this sort of wagon %ut in "following# the general-s chariot, it is manned only %y two. Quadrigae: $his chariot is much like the "command# chariot %ut without any %ells or drums. 8 charioteer, an officer and two warriors stand in this wagon, which is thought to ha!e tra!eled in front of the ca!alry. Fourth-type chariot: $his chariot is simpler, manned %y a charioteer who is flanked %y two warriors.

$he Ca!alry would %e made up of four chargers per group with 1/ groups per row, and nine rows per unit. $hey consisted of horses with cropped manes and knotted tales with saddles of leather. $o the left of each horse stood their riders, reins in the right hand and a %ow in the left.

$he infantry can %e di!ided into "officers# and "soldiers,# and each respecti!e group can %e further categori;ed. Officers

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-Fenerals, or commanding officers, wear dou%le tunics and apronClike scale armor that comes to a point at the %ottom, with showy cords on the chest, shoulders and %ack with the surfaces %eing much more ela%orately and carefully car!ed than other figures. $hey wear twoCpart, starched caps and pro%a%ly held swords C9fficers wear dou%le tunics and scale armor similar to the generals- with colorful %orders and a starched cap that is flat in the front. 9fficers representing national minorities wear their nati!e costumes underneath long scale armor with a flat %ottom. Charioteers were counted among the officers CLow officers are dressed in a light tunic, some with armor and some without. $hey wear similar caps to those of the officers though it is somewhat smaller. LowCranking officers are the most numerous. Soldiers C+arriors without armor sere as the !anguard and the flanks, found in pit num%er 1. $hey ha!e long %elted *ackets, puttees and light shoes. $hey ha!e knotted hair and each carries a 3ui!er on their %acks C8rmored warriors wear long *ackets, puttees, shoes or short %oots and simple scaled armor. $hey carry either a cross%ow or a long weapon 4such as a hal%erd5. $he armored warriors either wear soft hats o!er a hair knot, ha!e a %raid pinned to the %ack of the head or ha!e a round hair knot to the right side of their head. C8rchers can %e found either kneeling or standing. $hey %oth wear the same uniform, hairstyle and ha!e the same e3uipment. $hose kneeling lean on their right knee and appear to %e drawing a %ow. $hose archers that stand are positioned in stride and pro%a%ly held drawn %ows.

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8s said %efore, the figures can also %e categori;ed %y facial and %ody types. 8 %rief catalogue of %oth follows. Geep in mind that this catalogue is incomplete, as the pits containing the terracotta soldiers ha!e still not %een completely e ca!ated. 8lso note that the count gi!en for each only applies to pit num%er one, which is the most hea!ily e ca!ated. C8 "mu# shaped face is one that is elongated. $his type is found 142 times. C8 "guo# shaped face has an angular and elongated shape. $his type is found 1/7 times. C8 "yong# shaped face possesses a characteristic s3uare forehead, cheeks and a %road chin. $his type is found 100 times. C8 "*ia# shaped face possesses a %road forehead and cheek%ones. $he chin is long and pointedA the face is %road at the top and narrow at the %ottom. $his type is found 1/6 times. C8 "tian# shaped face has a !ery s3uare skull and is found 19 times. C8 "shen# shaped face has %road cheekones, a narrow forehead and a pointed chin. $here are 76 e amples of this type. C8 "feng# shaped face would ha!e a %road forehead and a fleshy, weak chin. $here are 40 e amples of this type. C8 "you# shaped face has a narrow forehead, %road chin. $here are 10 e amples of this type.

$he !arious %ody types are, so far, as follows. C&igures with a coarse, powerful frame. 'eroic and authoritati!e, these %odies often %elonged to elite soldiers. C&igures with a large %ody. $hese figures usually had long arms, legs and face. C&igures with a columnarClike frame. Soldiers with this %ody type were usually of an a%o!e a!erage si;e and represent young, healthy, sturdy and strong soldiers.

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C&igures with long, narrow %odies. $hose of this type tend to %e more slender and elegant with a handsome face. C&igures with slender hips and slightly cur!ed %ellies. $hese soldiers appear fresher and li!elier than others and are of a!erage si;e. C&igures with thin, small %odies. $he soldiers are rarely depicted in this manner. $hey seem to lack health or strength, %eing slight and sickly in %ody and possess ugly faces. C&igures with flat, %road %odies. $hese soldiers are large, flat and %road.

$he army was, at a time, fully colored and decorated. Much of the paint has worn off of the men, horses and chariots, %ut current analysis lets us know the color schemes and patterns that the workers en*oyed using. $he color tones were always !ery strong, the painters using a lot of deep red, dark and %right greens, dark %rowns and a;ure. 'orses were colored with "date red# 4for the torsos5 %lack, and white. $he colors often formed clear contrasts. &or e ample, if the outer clothes were red, the collars, %orders and trim would %e a dark or %right green, or perhaps a %right purple. 8lso adding to a contrast of color is the fact that the upper %ody clothes tend to %e %right while the pants and shoes are all darker colored. $hese contrasts accentuated the heroic and li!ely 3uality of the clay army. $he colors are opa3ue and flatly applied. $he style of the clay warriors marked the start of a new era in the use of sculpture and paint for representing the human figure. $he loss of paint aside, the figures are all in remarka%ly good condition, considering the centuries spent underground, the fires that the tom% has gone through and the ca!eCins on the figures. Much of this may %e owed to the dura%le clay that was used.

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>t was also an ideal medium in that it could yield lasting, naturalistic results 4a plus when the army was constructed for an emperor o%sessed with immortality5 and it was !ery a!aila%le 4a integral factor when considering the scale of the task5. $he a!aila%ility and sculptural 3uality of the clay was !ery fortunate, considering an order from the king that might ha!e read something like "Make me a magic army. >t must ne!er decay, %ut protect my residence for eternity. >t must look like a real army in all respects. 9nly then will the magic work.# 4)in Shihuang. $he $erracotta 8rmy of the &irst Chinese (mperor p/975. 8nd the appro imate 766,666 forced workers 4plus free craftsmen and artisans5 were a%le to carry out this task, the craft of which is left for us to see today. 'owe!er, this gargantuan task is not only a testament to the power and influence of the newly unified Chinese empire and its emperor, %ut "indicates that the lu ury and waste of that time were unprecedented.# 4(astern Hhou and )in Ci!ili;ations p/095. $his could %e why )in Shihuang-s reign, while one of the most powerful in all of history, lasted only a short while %efore there was a sort of reform in the empire. $he eagerness to e ca!ate the land, though, has led to hurried restoration and a general neglect for the pieces, and so the states of the pits and figures, at a point, simply decayed further, dura%le construction or no. 8t the moment, walls are in danger of collapsing due to dryness and weathering, groundwater is rising threatening to make porous the clay figures, the %ron;e chariots are !ulnera%le to further loss of polychromy and to corrosion, and the horses and men are all !ery top hea!y and !ulnera%le to falling, which could lead to a sort of domino effect. More careful work, though, has %een proceeding for some time and archaeologists continue to find artifacts in )in Shihuang-s gra!e comple , al%eit more slowly.

Lee p16 8 museum now stands 1.0 kilometers east of the gra!e mound, e hi%iting the clay army that stands as a sort of "1th +onder of the +orld# and a testament to argua%ly the most powerful man in human history.

The 8th Wonder of the World: The Terracotta Army of the Qin Shihuang Di

,ainer Lee