A Magic Treehouse Moment

June 18, 2015

A Magic Treehouse Moment

Considered by many as the 8th Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Warriors depict a collection of armies and horses built by Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China. Terracotta (literally, baked earth) is a type of clay used to create ceramics and pottery. The First Emperor of China recreated every single one of his soldiers as life-size terracotta sculptures, to be buried with him as protection in the afterlife.

Needless to say, the sheer size of his army is impressive, but the truly unique aspect of this collection is that no two sculptures are the same, just as no two people can be the same. The detailing of every single soldier in his army and the horses, chariots, and garnishments are truly one-of-a-kind. The terracotta warriors were buried with the emperor in 200 BCE, but discovered by a group of farmers in 1974, while digging for a well. This revolutionary discovery led to the opening of three large pits (and more undiscovered pits) that are now open to the public for viewing in Xi'an, China. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to visit the warriors and witness the legacy of Emperor Qin.

Pit 1, the largest of the three pits, houses more than 6,000 warriors and 50 chariots. You can see the crowds of people lined along the borders of the pit, trying to catch a good view...

Imagine breaking a clay vase and trying to piece it back together as a whole. Now imagine finding millions of pieces of clay and building it back into a life-size warrior. Now imagine doing that for 10,000 warriors...

The picture below shows what the pits look like when they are discovered. All the sculptures are shattered into tiny pieces for thousands of kilometers. More pits are being discovered everyday, revealing that Emperor Qin was buried with more than just his army - he recreated terracotta versions of his entertainers as well, including dancers, acrobats, and concubines to join him in the afterlife. Archaeologists are spending their entire lives piecing together the greatest historic discovery of our time...

Each of the pieces are labeled and organized as they are rebuilt. The below picture shows the work-in-progress of some unfinished warriors.

The below "Kneeling Archer" is a special piece in the Army collection, sometimes traveling to the world's most renowned exhibitions.

Last, but not least - we met the farmer who initially found the Terracotta Army by accident! He wrote a book about his journey and how this discovery has changed his life. We were lucky to attend his book signing!