© Aaron Zhu
Archaeologists in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province's capital, discovered twenty new warriors from a Chinese emperor's massive terracotta army on Friday. According to China Global Television Network, the newly discovered sculptures were discovered in Pit No. 1, outside the emperor's secret tomb, and are in excellent condition.
Among the notable discoveries are statues of a general and a mid-ranking army officer. Pit No. 1, an infantry and chariot section, covers an area of 14,260 square meters. The excavation is expected to yield more than 6,000 pottery figures and horses when it is completed. The Terracotta Army, which was created 2,200 years ago to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife, is the world's only mass-produced collection of military sculptures. Qin Shi Huang unified China as the country's first emperor. He is believed to have commanded a force of over 500,000 men. Historical Chinese texts make no mention of the Terracotta Army or the reason for its creation. Researchers estimate that it took 700,000 laborers between 30 and 40 years to complete the Terracotta Army and mausoleum. Qin Shi Huang is also credited with conceptualizing the Great Wall of China.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well about a mile east of the emperor's tomb. They discovered a vault containing thousands of one-of-a-kind, human-sized military figures poised for battle. Since then, archaeologists have discovered approximately 8,000 army statues, all of which were built to exact measurements according to their military ranks, with generals standing taller than soldiers at an average height of 5 feet 8 inches. The twenty newly discovered warriors are currently undergoing restoration at Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum. Additional research will be conducted to gain a better understanding of the ancient military and its practices. Archaeologists discovered approximately 200 warriors, 12 clay horses, and two chariots in January, as well as a number of bronze weapons over the last decade.
Selena Mattei