TERRA COTTA ARMY

The Army of the UnderworldBy Grace Tavi

Who?

Scientists predict that these amazing statues were created by hundreds of artisans all over China, but the country was still called Qin after it’s emperor. This was because Emperor Qin was still conquering all the countries around him. This started a revolution, concluding in the start of what we now call China. ( :

What?

The Terra Cotta Army was the 8,000 strong army built to protect the emperor of China after his death. He became extremely paranoid about his death more than 30 years before he died. He was constantly worrying about the spirits of those he killed (and there were thousands,) would come back to avenge themselves in his death. This is of course a likely educated guess, but there are other ideas too. Some say he only wanted to rule again in the underworld as he did alive. Anyways, the Terra Cotta army men were armed and ready for battle with real arms. It appears that symbolism wasn’t rightly protective to emperor Qin. These men of clay were battle ready and prepared to jump into action.

When?

These were found at 1974, by farmers digging a well for their crops. They originally thought it to be a temple, but soon, when the facts were uncovered, scientists managed too learn the truth.

Scientists put together the pieces of the statues, like they were a big complicated puzzle.

Where?

The Terra Cotta Army were found in China, where perfection was now found by fear.

Not meeting standards was savagely punished with death or torture

If one person did wrong, and someone didn’t say something, your whole group would be punished savagely

It took 30 years to perfect these beautiful statues It was written by an ancient scribe, that the emperor

demanded perfection. If he was not pleased, he was prone to execution or harsh punishment of the sort, so his men were quite determined to get it right. There apparently was a model of all of China to surround his stunning gold and silver casket. Rivers of mercury, painted grass and trees all to perfection. Scientists fear that the contents of his tomb are too fragile to remove or examine at all. They have yet to explore the tomb in depth.

Why?

The Emperor lived in fear of the ghosts of his victims attacking him in the underworld, he wanted to fight back, to defeat them again as he did before.

How?

Artisans created these statues by slowly sculpting each and every soldier in his army.

He armed each and every one with real, usable weapons. None of his defenders’ arms were symbolic. He died about 30 years after conquering the whole of today’s China.

SOURCES

NOVA documentary; Emperor's Ghost Army

National Geographic’s article; Terra Cotta Army Protects First Emperor’s Tomb by John Roach

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