The Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a vast collection of life-sized terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of China's first emperor, discovered buried near his tomb in 1974.
Discovered entirely by accident by farmers digging a well, this vast underground army of thousands of individually detailed soldiers had lain hidden and undisturbed for over two thousand years.
An Accidental Discovery
The Terracotta Army was discovered accidentally in 1974 by farmers digging a well near the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
Thousands of Unique Soldiers
The site contains an estimated 8,000 individual terracotta soldiers, each with distinct facial features and details, arranged to guard the emperor's tomb in the afterlife.
Protecting the First Emperor
The army was constructed to accompany Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, reflecting ancient beliefs about the need for military protection continuing into the afterlife.
An Ongoing Archaeological Excavation
Excavation of the site continues today, with significant portions of the surrounding tomb complex still unexplored, and the site remains one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
