What famous collection of life-sized clay warriors guards the tomb of Qin Shi Huang?

The Terracotta Army is the collection of life-sized clay warriors buried to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor. The figures formed part of a vast funerary complex near modern Xi’an in Shaanxi Province.

The army was created in the late third century BCE and buried around 210–209 BCE, after Qin Shi Huang’s death. The figures include infantrymen, generals, cavalry, chariots, and horses, with rank reflected in their height, clothing, and hairstyles. Many were originally painted in vivid colors, although much of the pigment disappeared after excavation.

Local farmers discovered the site while digging a well on 29 March 1974. Archaeologists identified several major pits; estimates for the three principal army pits include more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, and hundreds of horses.

The warriors are not the emperor’s tomb itself. They belong to the surrounding mausoleum complex, whose central burial chamber remains largely unopened. Other nearby pits contain officials, musicians, acrobats, animals, and bronze vehicles.