BBC - The Immortal Emperor

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BBC 1996 Presented by Dr.Tony Spawforth

Recently discovered in 1974 by Chinese peasants who were drilling a well, the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi proved to be one of the greatest archaeological finds in both historical importance and in sheer physical bulk. Archaeologists were uncertain when the excavations began of the great magnitude of this site. The although the tomb itself is, according to legend, very elaborate and beautiful, the center piece of Shi Huangdi’s mausoleum is the terra-cotta army of approximately 8,000 life-sized men and horses.

Individually sculpted of 3 inch thick terra-cotta clay, each soldier and horse is unique, each with its own style of dress (the mineral paints used to cover the figures in bright, gay colors have since dissolved), weaponry, and facial expressions. Grouped into a specific military formation with crouching crossbowmen and bowmen at the point, archers at the flanks, large groups of infantry, chariots and cavalry, and a final guard of heavily armored infantry pulling up the rear, all are arranged according to the proper military procedures of the day.

All 8,000 troops are housed in three separate chambers for each section of the army: active duty troops in the largest chamber, reserves in another smaller chamber, and a small group of 68 commanders and elite officers in the third. The army faces the east guarding Shi Huangdi’s tomb from the enemies he vanquished who supposedly came from that direction. The three chambers are themselves part of a much larger burial complex located approximately 3/4 mile from Qin Shi Huangdi’s pyramidal, still unexcavated, tomb.

The complex is designed much as a city: with protecting walls, a palace, and even a cemetery, to be Shi Huangdi’s capital during his adventures through the afterlife. Built mainly underground, carved out of low mountain top (according to legend), the construction itself took 700,000 prisoners of war and slaves over 36 years to construct and covers approximately four square miles. The as-yet-unearthed palace is reputedly of legendary grandeur.

Much like Egyptian pharaohs, Shi Huangdi’s tomb provided for all his needs and replicated his style of life on earth, complete with many amenities: various precious stones and metals; objects d’art; a small, scaled model of his capital city, Chang`an; a small river system in which mercury was mechanically circulated, showing the Yangtze, Yellow and all other major rivers of China; and a planetarium with constellations made of pearls.The burial chamber was dug out of an aquifer which required all of the interior surface to be waterproofed with a thin layer of bronze.

When the first terra-cotta soldiers were found in 1974, the first archaeologist dispatched to the scene was Yuan Zhongyi, now leader of the excavations and director of the on-site museum. He originally thought his work would take about one week. He was shocked when he later found the largest chamber of the army, with nearly 6,400 men, horses, and chariots. Unearthing the first chamber took three years. The second and third chambers were found soon after digging in the first concluded.

When the Chinese made the first announcements about the statues in 1974, many archaeologists, intellectuals and especially tourists wanted to visit the site. The Chinese were surprisingly open about visitation (although they do all the digging) and even lead tours to watch the actual excavation as it takes place. Originally covered with a shabbily constructed tin roof, but soon after, the Chinese enclosed the entire area in a reinforced steel building which can only be described as an airplane hanger, completely sealed off from the elements. They also built adjacent to the site a museum, housing many of the valuables recovered from around all of the tomb site and welcoming over two million visitors each year. You can still tour the dig site and the fully excavated first chamber, if you wish.

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Pass: calek

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