The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century.
The Qin Shihuang Mausoleum and the Pits containing terracotta warriors and horses 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. With a height of 76 m, the mausoleum is laid out in line with the dimensions of Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty. It is composed of the inner compound and the outer compound, which have perimeters of 2.5 km and 6.3 km, respectively. The tomb is located in the
The pits (No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, No. 3 Pit) containing the terracotta army guarding the mausoleum were 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. Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigor.
No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China's National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front, followed by war chariots at the back. No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and four horses. Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur.
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.