China
China has a long and rich cultural history, from its
carefully planted gardens (planned to look random and "natural," like
the garden seen through the window with the Art History teacher at
left) to its Pagodas
(below center) or its fabulous Great Wall (below right). The most
spectacular
recent archaeological find in China, though, is the First Emperor's
Army
(below left), created with about 8000 life-sized terra cotta figures of
soldiers
and horses. (Scholars repeatedly refer to these figures as
life-sized,
but when I stood next to one, it dwarfed me. Terra Cotta soldiers
actually
range in height from 5' 9" to 6' 5".)
The First Emperor's Army was accidentally discovered in 1974 by farmers digging for a well. Since then, systematic scientific excavation has revealed three main pits filled with soldiers in battle formation, ready to serve the First Emperor in the next life. The soldiers were buried in trenches extending about 16 feet into the earth, then covered with a timber roof and mounds of earth. Originally equipped with real weapons, these soldiers were battle-ready fighting men.
The First Emperor of China ruled in the 3rd century BCE, unifying China by force as he conquered rival states and established the foundations for China's Imperial rule for the next 2000 years. He imposed a unified code of laws, standardized the language, and was the first to connect the various pieces of the Great Wall, creating a protective border on China's northern edge. In his life time, the First Emperor was the most powerful man on the planet. Yet, there was one thing he could not have: immortality. He sent his soldiers to seek an elixir of life that would give immortality, yet they failed to find it. The first emperor had to settle for a grand tomb (not yet excavated) near his terra cotta army. They guard him in the next life and ensure that he will always maintain his sovereign rule.
The First Emperor's Army was accidentally discovered in 1974 by farmers digging for a well. Since then, systematic scientific excavation has revealed three main pits filled with soldiers in battle formation, ready to serve the First Emperor in the next life. The soldiers were buried in trenches extending about 16 feet into the earth, then covered with a timber roof and mounds of earth. Originally equipped with real weapons, these soldiers were battle-ready fighting men.
The First Emperor of China ruled in the 3rd century BCE, unifying China by force as he conquered rival states and established the foundations for China's Imperial rule for the next 2000 years. He imposed a unified code of laws, standardized the language, and was the first to connect the various pieces of the Great Wall, creating a protective border on China's northern edge. In his life time, the First Emperor was the most powerful man on the planet. Yet, there was one thing he could not have: immortality. He sent his soldiers to seek an elixir of life that would give immortality, yet they failed to find it. The first emperor had to settle for a grand tomb (not yet excavated) near his terra cotta army. They guard him in the next life and ensure that he will always maintain his sovereign rule.
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