The Terracotta Warriors are a vast collection of terracotta statues that represent the army of Qin Shi Huang. The Terracotta Warriors were found in pits near Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum, at Mount Li in the Shaanxi Province. The statues themselves were built in the later part of the 3rd century BCE, but were discovered in 1974 by local farmers.
Why they are special: The Terracotta Warriors were considered to be a form of funerary art for Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. After their discovery in 1974, three pits full of the Terracotta Warriors varying in height depending on their roles were unearthed. The mausoleum held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots being pulled by 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, and non-military figurines like musicians, officials, acrobats and strongmen. The entire army is part of a large necropolis that surrounds the Emperor’s tomb, which till date remains sealed for preservation purposes.
