New discovery of the terracotta army in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang: 'As lifelike as real people'

With this special arrangement, the terracotta army in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang can take on different tasks when fighting.

Accordingly, during the third excavation at pit number 1 in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Xi'an city (China), archaeologists have just made a new discovery about the arrangement of the terracotta army.

In the past, the team arrangement at pit number 1 was said to be symmetrical along the north-south axis, centered at tunnel number 6.

"This time, we have some breakthrough discoveries," said Shen Maosheng, a researcher at the Mausoleum Museum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. "In the third excavation of an area of ​​more than 400 square meters ^, we found that the terracotta soldiers in front of the eighth tunnel were armed with long weapons, while the soldiers in the back were using bows and arrows. The same is true for the ninth tunnel. All the soldiers in the tenth tunnel were holding long weapons."

Researchers discovered the terracotta army arranged in different hairstyles, costumes and weapons. (Photo: CGTN)

The expert also added that most of the terracotta warriors in tunnel 11 used bows and arrows. Some warriors were equipped with long weapons and were all commanders.

In particular, the research team also discovered a part of the arrangement model of the army in pit No. 1. For example, in front are lined up terracotta warriors wearing armor, which experts call the vanguard. On both sides of the vanguard are terracotta warriors wearing scarves. All the terracotta warriors in the middle row have buns. Behind them are statues of soldiers with flat buns. The strange thing is that the warriors with different hairstyles stand in different positions and they may have been in charge of separate tasks during the battle.

Through this arrangement and layout, researchers can have a more intuitive and specific understanding of the army.

"We want to publish the research as soon as possible so that more people can learn about the army ," said Shen Maosheng.

Terracotta Army: The Shocking Discovery of the 20th Century

In 1974, farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi Province (northwest China) made an extraordinary discovery. As a result, the Terracotta Army, part of the vast mausoleum complex dedicated to Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, was unearthed. Researchers found the terracotta warriors at the foot of Mount Lishan.

The Terracotta Warriors in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang were first discovered in 1974. (Photo: National Geographic)

The Terracotta Army, consisting of more than 8,000 warriors, was buried in pits far from the center of the mausoleum. When first discovered and excavated, the warrior statues still retained their painted faces and costumes. According to experts, not only the posture and costumes, but also the faces of the statues were so lifelike that they looked like living people.

Experts were surprised that the terracotta soldiers had lifelike faces. (Photo: Historycollection)

The mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is located in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. According to historian Sima Qian, the mausoleum was built by hundreds of thousands of people over a period of nearly 40 years and was completed around 208 BC. With an area 70 times larger than the Forbidden City, it is considered the largest private mausoleum in the world. The underground structures are still almost intact.

After examining the entire area and finding no holes indicating that tomb robbers had broken in, some archaeologists believe that the central tomb containing the remains of Emperor Qin Shi Huang has remained undisturbed for thousands of years.

The central area of ​​the mausoleum, which contains the remains of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, remains a great mystery that has yet to be discovered. (Illustration by Ancientorigins)

The discovery of the Terracotta Army is still considered one of the greatest discoveries at the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Until now, archaeologists and scientists are still trying to research the Terracotta Army as well as the secrets hidden inside the tomb of the first emperor in Chinese history.