Editor’s note: Have you travelled to a new country and come across a site or historical artefact that you think our readers should know about? Then this new segment ‘Through the Lens of a Dominican’ is for you. Send the video or photo you took, as well as the location and description or fun facts, to news@dominicanewsonline.com to be featured on our website.
In March 1974, Chinese farmer Yang Zhifa while digging a well in Xi’an, China, accidentally unearthed the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century – the buried Terracotta Army.
After coming across a life-sized human head made of clay, archaeologists were called in to investigate and what they found was extraordinary. Thousands of life-like terracotta figures from the Qin dynasty, were fashioned 2,000 years ago to protect the First Emperor of China in the afterlife.
Everyone was taken aback by the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors because there are no historical records of them or an underground army. They’d been untouched underground for almost 2,200 years. A fact that adds to the mystique, as it is now China’s largest and most important tomb site.
Constructed between 246 and 209 B.C., the mausoleum complex is much more than just the soldiers and has lent itself to many scientific discoveries.
More than 2,000 warriors and horses have been discovered in three distinct burial pits since the discovery of the Terracotta Army, with an estimated 6,000 remaining buried beneath. It is perhaps the enormous scale of the discovery that has added to the mystery and captivated the world, leading people to start describing the warriors as the eighth
wonder of the world.
The warriors of various grades were buried in combat formation to mimic a genuine army, and they are divided into infantrymen, archers, generals, cavalrymen, charioteers, officers, and guards of honour – all with unique expressions, attire, and hairstyles.
Qin Shi Huang, China’s First Emperor, desired to live indefinitely. He expended enormous riches to construct a magnificent underground empire outfitted with everything he would require for the afterlife. The site possesses palaces, an army to guard him, chariots, and stables full of horses, performers, and even concubines. It is the world’s largest burial site, spanning 56 square km.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s actual tomb remains a mystery to archaeologists and historians as it is still sealed up. There have been geophysical surveys of the tomb mound, but the mausoleum itself has not been excavated.
The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is a popular tourist destination in Xi’an. During my nearly one-hour tour of the three pits, museum personnel informed me that more than 60,000 tickets are sold daily to people flocking to the exhibit to view one of the most extraordinary and mysterious finds from the ancient world.
Many who I spoke to revealed that they’d been here several times before but were always amazed at the discovery every visit.
Below is video footage of the famous Terracotta Warriors located in the Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum.
I am happy you enjoyed your trip to China and equally happy you felt compelled to let us know.
It goes to show the imperialism in the blood of our new colonial masters. Over 2000 years ago some fool who think he was greater than others buried a whole army to protect him in the after life. When our emperor in Dominica gone he need to take the whole of special branch bury with him in paille. Let Butt kissing ASPs inspector and sarge stand with shades waiting for his resurrection. Additionally it is a reminder why all those who think they are superior to others need to be executed. Look 2000 years later the emperor been dug up to be made a spectacle for tourism. It is a good reminder never to allow one man rule over you. Also a reminder that loyal dummies existed centuries ago and still exist today. Humans don’t change the just revolve in the same cycle of stupidity.
One thing the writer forgot to say is that all of the relics represents people; slave workers to Chines rulers murdered and buried with the rulers, when they died from natural causes be they kings or emperors; to protect their sprite in death!
All of those thousands of lives taken all due to some stupid superstitious mentality!
This thing is probably fake like everything else that comes out of Chy-na
That’s not a mystery, that photography and others has been around the world for years; it not a first!
Reading to understand is very critical. Nowhere in the article did it mention that the photographs were a mystery. Instead it seeks to bring attention to the mystery of the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors because there were no historical records of them or an underground army. Kudos to you for seeing them before, but I’m sure there are many others who haven’t and didn’t know about their existence.
So DNO was it a Chinese who really wrote this or a Dominican? If you’re saying “Through the Lens of a Dominican” why not highlight who this so the Dominican is?
ADMIN: The author is a Dominican. You can find their name at the top of the article.