Making of the pottery figurines

 The Terracotta Warriors excavated from the Qinshihuang Mausoleum and the Pits are located in Lintong County, near Xi’an City, capital of Shaanxi Province. Constructed from 246 BC to 208 BC, the mausoleum was the first of its kind in Chinese history. The terracotta army guarding the mausoleum was discovered in 1974. Three pits have been excavated so far. Occupying an area of over 200,000 sq. m, the three pits are arranged in a triangular shape, facing the east. A total of 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors, chariots and horses, and hundreds of bronze weapons have been excavated from the pits.

Two bronze carriages excavated from the west of mausoleum have four horses harnessed to each, and in each stand an official and a driver. They display an exquisite casting technique, and are regarded as bronze masterpieces and national treasures.

The discovery of the pits is a major archeological find and can be called the eighth wonder of the world, paralleling Egypt’s pyramids. The excavated objects are precious material for the study of military science, politics, economy, culture, science and arts of the Qin Dynasty, over 2,000 years ago.

The terracotta warriors and horses represent a peak in the world’s history of the art of pottery, adding glamour to China’s civilization and the world’s esthetics.

When arrows, spears, daggers and swords were excavated, it was hard to believe that they had been buried in damp soil for over 2,000 years. These bronze weapons still glitter, and are so sharp that 19 layers of newspaper can be sliced through with them. Chemical tests indicate that all these weapons are made of bronze containing various other kinds of metals, and were processed to defy rust.

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