Archaeologists excavating China's renowned Terracotta Army unearthed a rare life-sized statue of a senior general, the first of its kind to be discovered at the site.
The figure was discovered in Pit No. 2 of the Terracotta Army site, alongside the remains of two chariots, three terracotta horses, and two other statues, according to The Sun. The newly found statues are believed to be located in an area containing cavalry figures, as noted by VnExpress.
"This is the first figure of a senior military officer found at the No.2 pit since formal excavations began at the pit in 1994," said Zhu Sihong, head of the excavation project, according to Global Times. "Based on its location, we believe this figure was likely the highest-ranking military commander of this unit."
Distinguished by its ornate armor, elaborate headdress, and distinctive posture, the statue is only the tenth officer found since the Terracotta Army was first discovered in 1974, making it an important discovery for understanding the military organization of the Qin dynasty, according to VnExpress. The generals' hands are always clenched in front, and their shoulder pads and armor are decorated with ribbons, indicating their special status within the army's hierarchy.
"The decorative details on the body of the senior general statue reveal their special status," said Janice Lee, a prominent archaeologist at the University of Oxford, according to VnExpress. She added, "The style and colors of the decorations reflect the aesthetics and social status symbols of that time," emphasizing the artistic and social implications of the statue's design.
Archaeologists also found two high-level officer figurines and five figurines dressed in contemporary armor accompanying the terracotta commander, as reported by HeritageDaily.
Restoration of the painted general figurine's head is already underway, with experts carefully cleaning and reassembling it to preserve the painted surface, reported Global Times. Experts noted that extracting a painted figurine head requires special attention compared to a standard figurine, to ensure that the painted surface remains undamaged.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the archaeological excavations of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi'an, coinciding with an exhibition at the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum featuring 230 artifacts, several of which are on display for the first time, according to Global Times. The Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 during the construction of a well in northwestern China and is located in the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi province, China.
Over the past five decades, archaeologists excavated more than 2,000 life-sized clay warriors, with experts estimating there may be up to 8,000 figures at the site, according to Global Times. Li Gang, director of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum, stated that about 6,000 terracotta figures and horses were unearthed from Pit No. 1, and with pits No. 2 and No. 3 included, the total number is expected to approach 8,000, according to IFLScience.
The Terracotta Army was designed to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in his afterlife, replicating the armed forces that served him during his lifetime, reported The Sun. Qin Shi Huang (259 BCE – 210 BCE) is known as the first emperor of unified China, having consolidated the warring kingdoms in 221 BCE and founded the Qin dynasty, marking him as the architect of China’s unification, according to IFLScience.
Each figure in the Terracotta Army is unique, reflecting the diversity of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's army, with individual soldiers depicted with varying facial features, hairstyles, and clothing, as noted by Global Times. The terracotta soldiers were buried with bows, arrows, and swords, likely to protect the first emperor of China in the afterlife, a practice interpreted as a symbolic way of safeguarding him, according to VnExpress.
Recently excavated terracotta soldiers often have facial features, hair, and clothing in bright colors, as they were originally painted with red, purple, and green, believed to match the patterns of clothing worn by Qin soldiers, according to Global Times. The precision and detail with which these pieces are made demonstrate the high level of skill of the artisans of the time, according to La República.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.