Chinese Civilization

Chinese civilization can trace its roots in the Shaanxi and Henan provinces. The Han Chinese came to this area in the 3rd century BC. The capital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, is a few miles to the west of where the Wei and Huang He come together. The China that we know today would be formed thanks to China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. Emperor Qin unified all of the clans into a unified nation.

Emperor Qin's tomb is located about 20 miles east of the city. Peasants accidentally discovered the tomb's terracotta army in 1974 while digging a well. Today, buildings cover the unearthed treasures and provide a protected environment for them.

Qin's terracotta army consists of life-size figures of warriors, shown in battle dress according to rank an unit, and various figures of horses and chariots, and this is only part of what is believed to be his grand tomb. The terracota army is located approximately a mile east of Qin's main tomb which is said to contain spectacular objects. To date only trial digs of the main tomb site have been completed and they have yet to find the main entrance to the tomb.

Emperor Qin ordered the construction of his tomb when he was 13 years old, an order that involved tens of thousands of workers and took nearly thirty-six years to complete. It is also believed that Qin ordered that the tomb workers and supervisors involved in its design be buried alive to protect its secrets.

So far, three underground pits, totaling more than 22,000 square meters, have been found with 8,000 life-size terracotta figures of warriors and horses. Each pit is located 15 to 20 feet below ground level and was made with the figures placed in rooms. These corridors, separated by walls, are paved with pottery bricks on which the warriors and horses are located. Wooden planks placed over the corridors between the earthen walls and covered by layers of mats made from fibers formed the roofing. This was then covered by soil to hide the army's location. In the 2,000 years since its construction, the roofing collapsed damaging the figures and there is evidence of fires indicating the presence of tomb robbers also.

Construction