New Excavations Starting at Xi’an Tomb for Terra Cotta Warriors

Terracotta Army

The famous Terracotta Army was first discovered outside of Xi’an in 1974; since then, thousands of clay soldiers, horses, chariots and weaponry have been uncovered and put on display for visitors to marvel. 

A new round of excavations have just started and are expected to yield hundreds more of these incredibly preserved ancient life-size figures. 

China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb – and now the adjacent Terracotta Museum – covers more than 175,000 square feet, including three pits. 

Pit 1 was previously excavated; excavation is now underway in Pit 2, which is smaller than the first pit, but it is believed to be richer in archaeological value. 

The museum’s team estimates that Pit 2 contains 89 war chariots, 116 mounted soldiers, and 1,400 warrior and horse statues, which they believe will offer invaluable insight into the military culture of the Qin dynasty.