O The Vanity of the Emperors of Yore; The Qin Terracotta Warriors

The Year is 210 BCE and Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, has just passed on. Like the great man he was, he would be accorded a proper burial. A funeral like no other before him has ever experienced.

You see, when he realized that he was dying, the emperor ordered for the preparation of warriors, chariots, cavalry horses and other non-combatants such as strongmen, musicians, acrobats and officials. This terracotta army was to be buried with him in order to protect him in the afterlife.

According to a 2007 analysis of the earthen necropolis where the king was buried, there were a total of 8,000 soldiers, 520 horses, 130 chariots and 150 cavalry horses. The tomb is located on the foot of Mount Li in Lintong District, Xian.

The tomb was constructed to depict his imperial palace, complete with stables, offices, and halls. The weapons found in the tomb were made of copper and tin combined with other elements such as nickel and cobalt. They included swords, axes, and crossbows with trigger mechanisms and many more.

Suffice to say that these terracotta warriors are an ideal case study of ancient military science. The tomb has preserved the weapons and other tools used by the emperor for 2,000 years. There is a lot of history there and you wouldn't want to miss this.

by Kennedy Runo on 07/24/2015 in Sightseeing

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