History Mystery- Terracotta Warriors (By Shantel)

History Mystery- Terracotta Warriors (By Shantel)

So why is the Terracotta Army important to history?

Because it shows power and glory to the emperor and the nation he unified. The significance was because of how the Qin Dynasty was so exceptional at arts and crafts with the many designs and facial carved onto clay. It reminds everyone of the potential and triumpth from those days. It was also important because the emperor wanted to have an army in the afterlife to protect him.

Who was this Emperor?

Ying Zheng was born in 259 BC. When he was just 13, he became the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. He was very ambitious and bossy, even at a young age. When he turned 22, he gained full power when he got rid of his premier Lu Buwei and wanted to unify states altogether. Not long after that was when he first discovered the Qin Dynasty, so he proclaimed it to himself and renamed him - Qin Shi Huang. His greatest achievments were to start the Wall of China and, of course, the Terracotta Army. His death is a mystery He is still aknowledged till this day.

What is the Qin Dynasty?

Sources: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/qin_shihuang_1.htm

What were the ranks of the officers?

How long did it take to construct the army?

I have no answer to how long exactly it took to construct the soldiers because tons of resources have said 11 years, 40 years, 37 years etc, but many sources have said that it had stopped at 209 BC after the emperor's death. It took about 720 000 men, the soldiers having unique facials (No two soldiers have the same faces) and organized into their ranks in different poses and positions. There were also horses, wagons, chariots, buried treasures and believed to be some pottery. This caught archaeologists' attention very quickly.

Sources:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_did_it_take_to_build_the_Terracotta_Army?#slide=3

http://www.technologystudent.com/culture1/terrcot1.htm

http://www.chinahighlights.com/xian/terracotta-army/

During the Warring States Period (476BC to 221BC) The Qin dynasty was the first state that was unified and centralized. Qin Shi Huang ruled over the state with his son Hu Hai, but then it was overruled by the uprising of people. During his last years or ruling, Qin was ruthless and cruel to his people, and they didn't like it one bit. After he did, his son had succeeded him but he was so silly and obnoxious that lead the farmers and peasants to cause an uprising. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang took his place and finally when Xiang Yu's army defeatedd the Qin army, it led into the capitol which caused the Qin Dynasty to end.

Research Questions:

The ranks of the officers were based on their height, uniform and how their hair was done. Their hair is plaited and styled in many different ways like a headdress or headband(for the officers). An example of one of the uniforms is a long jacket, thigh protecters, chest plate trimmed with different coloured lace, double long hat and square boots (middle level officer). The heights measure from 175 and 196 cm.

Why and how was it made and who made it?

It was made for the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty who thought that he would go into the afterlife and anger the 'evil spirits' so he wanted an animated army when he died to protect him. Qin thought he would also continue ruling when he was dead. He also constructed it for his glory and to remember the army that overruled the Warring States to unite China. He made over 720 000 men go into labour work and build the army out of soft or yellow clay that were put in klins to make it rigid.

Sources:

http://www.chinahighlights.com/xian/terracotta-army/

Lonely Planet China (Book)

http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-terracotta-army-built

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Terracotta_Army_made_of?#slide=1

Sources: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/qin/

Sources: The Search for Ancient China (Book)

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/xian/terracotta/weapon.htm

- How long did it take to construct the army?

- Why was it made and who made it?

- What were the ranks of the officers?

- Who was this "Emperor"?

- What was the Qin Dynasty?

Why is the Terracotta Army a crucial & mysterious part of history?

Videos and Documentaries

Other Opinions

My Thoughts

"The terracotta warriors are unique. Not only are they life-size and individually modelled in clay, but the detail of the figures is astounding."

"The terracotta warriors are like nothing else I've ever seen. The detail on the faces, no two alike and on the costumes are exquisite and the painstaking reconstruction is a feat to behold." -Chiara Pinto

"There's no better way to see history. The museum allows you to get a good look at all the warriors they have found so far. You get the impression, at first, that the statue's were found intact, but they have all been painstakingly put together from the shattered remains. It is definitely worth walking past the shouting of street merchants yammering for the tourist dollar to get to the museum entry. Once you are inside the museum there are restaurants and kiosks to help you have the stamina to view all the excavation pits they have on display." -Luisa Fearnside

Here are some documentaries made by tourists who travelled to see the well known museum of the terracotta army in China. They all have evidence of what it looks like underground and what else that's in the museum.

Personally, I think it is a very rare thing to find because it says in a book(The Search for Ancient China) that peasants were digging a well and hit a little bit of debris of the terracotta so it was pretty well hidden.

Sources: http://www.terracottawarriors.co.uk/terracotta-army.php

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=how+many+soldiers+are+in+the+terracotta+army&oq=how+many+soldiers+are+in+the+terra&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2.8363j0j8&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#q=terracotta+warriors+facts&revid=609114450&lrd=lrd