Emperor Qin ShiHuang was well aware of his on mortality,
and ordered construction of his tomb at a young age. He
had sent thousands of his men overseas to discover the secrets
of immortality, and visited holy mountains himself to have
deep conversations with the gods. Many view Qin ShiHuang
as a tyrant, and his arrogance is well documented.
Ancient Chinese believed that the soul lived on after death,
so that the dead requires the same treatment as the living.
Emperor Qin ShiHuang constructed a tomb with a Terra Cotta
army of 8,000 soldiers to protect his spirit after death.
According to Sima Qian (historian of the Han Dynasty),
the coffin of Emperor Qin Shi Huang was cast in bronze,
and the underground palace was a replica of the imperial
palace above ground. Within the tomb, traps with shooting
arrows were installed to fend off grave robbers.
(Photo of Terra Cotta Warriors in Pit 1)
Making of the Terra Cotta Soldiers &
Army
Each terra cotta soldier was individually
fashioned, and crafted with care. The legs are solid, while
the upper torso is hollow, formed with an inner core of
coiled strips of clay. Finer clay was then molded on top
of this core. The facial features and expressions are then
individually added by the artisans.
(Picture of broken Terra Cotta figures.)
(Picture of some headless Terra Cotta figures.)
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