China's Terracotta Army and the First Emperor's Mausoleum

Xi an, where the Silk Road in ancient China began and where the kings of thirteen dynasties throned, drew the attention of the world in 1974 with the discovery of the First Emperor s Mausoleum and a legion of accompanying burial pits.

The First Emperor (259 210 BC), as the name suggests, was the first emperor in the history of China. He annihilated six other states and founded China s first unified and centralized powerful empire the Qin dynasty. During his reign, the world-famous Great Wall was built. He died at the age of fifty, on a journey to seek medicine for longevity.

This book introduces the accompanying burial pits of the First Emperor s Mausoleum, focusing on the excavation process and details of the terracotta warriors and horses in the pits. Readers will learn fascinating facts about the Qin army of more than two thousand years ago and get answers to many intriguing questions such as: Who discovered the terracotta army sites and whose decision it was to excavate them? How were the terracotta warriors lined up and how the military arrays were deployed? How did the infantry, cavalry and chariots coordinate in operation? What was the armament like? The book also discusses the elaborate art and techniques of making terracotta warriors and horses. Through the author s narrative reconstruction of the valiant and luxury life of the First Emperor, readers will get acquainted with the intricacies of the ancient Chinese civilization.