Discovering the Terracotta Army and other treasures

Mr. R and I finally made it to the British Museum to see the Terracotta Army.

The exhibition is a peek into one of the twentieth centuries greatest archeological discoveries and the legacy of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi.

The Terracotta Army was buried with the Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 210-209 BC. Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huangdi in the afterlife.

The Army was discovered in March 1974 by local farmers drilling a water well to the east of Mount Lishan. In addition to the warriors, an entire man-made necropolis for the emperor has been excavated. The Emperor's tomb, however, has been left undisturbed so far.

You can get a glimpse of the actual exhibition in the video (below):



From 210 BC to 1974 AD - the underground city has been secret a long time. We are privileged, I think, to be able to witness a part of something so old.