Why are the Terracotta warriors famous?

In China the powerful Qin dynasty came to power in the 3rd century BC. They swiftly conquered their neighbors to make a large empire covering most of modern China. The Qin emperor Shi Huangdi standardized weights and measures and introduced a single form of currency. He is best remembered for his construction of the Great Wall of China which stretches for 2,250 km across the north if China.

When the emperor died a huge tomb was built to hold his body. It was filled with a guardian army of thousands of life-sized terracotta ( or pottery ) warriors. Each figure was individually modeled. The figures were placed in three pits inside the large complex surroundings the emperor's tomb.



The figures vary in height (184–197cm - 6ft–6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the Generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.