The mystery of the clay troops. The Terracotta Army of China How many terracotta warriors

A special stamp was installed on every detail, which showed what kind of workshop did it. If marriage came across, it was immediately clear who was to blame, and whom to punish. Given the temper of the emperor Qin Shihuandi, most likely, the first defective detail was for the master and the last.

All of this you can see with your own eyes, if you visit this funeral complex in Xi'an.

Weapons of terracotta soldiers

Although the soldiers were clay, but their weapons were given the most present. Unfortunately, weapons have been preserved enough. First, the funeral complex has been robbed several times. Secondly, the metal is saved much worse ceramics, and many items have completely rotted.

But even a small amount of weapon gave scientists a lot of reasons for surprise. For example, tips for arrows produced in different parts of China had almost the same size. That is, already in the 3rd century D.N.E. The Chinese have introduced a unification in the production of weapons. It is amazing.

Thanks to the terracotta army, we are very well now idea how the soldiers of the time that weapons were fighting, as they were built on the battlefield and what tactics adhered to.

Where to see the terracotta army

Almost all soldiers are where they were digested by archaeologists. The place of archaeological excavations is 10 kilometers from Siain. This is a fairly large city with a population of 8.5 million people. It is possible here from Russia, but only from Moscow. Tourists who choose Xian, the main object of travel, is quite small, although there are many attractions in the city.

If desired, it can be reached here from. The distance 1200 kilometers will be overcome in 6 hours. Some are even trying to look at the terracotta army "one day", that is, come on the morning "speeding" and go in the evening.

We are not recommended such a way. The first high-speed train (in the photo on the left) arrives from Beijing to SIAN STATION at 13-00, and the latter leaves here at 18-00. You will have only 5 hours, and this is enough only to look at the terracotta army "one eye".

In addition, this is an expensive way to travel, since one side ticket costs 500 (at the time of writing the article, May 2015). Both sides are about 1,000 yuan per person.

Tickets for the usual train in the coupe are twice as cheaper, but you will spend 14 hours in the train one way, and there are 28 hours. Such a time loss for many tourists is unacceptable.

There is the best way to buy seats in the usual train. If you are not afraid for 14 hours to sit in an uncomfortable chair, then such a ticket will cost you only 150 yuan one way.

We believe that it is worth flying to Xi'an as the main goal of the travel. The city is beautiful, you will not regret. And look at the terracotta army without hurrying, and the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuandi will see, and much more interesting.

If you do not want to go to Xi'an, but you really want to see the terracotta army, then there is a compromise solution. These clay soldiers can be viewed in the museums of the country. On an ongoing basis, they are exhibited in Beijing on.

In the spring of 1974, in the Chinese province of Shancy, the well was suspended on one of the land plots. At a depth of 4-5 m, the figure of an ancient warrior made of dark clay was detected. The accuracy and realism of even the smallest details of this find indicated its exceptional uniqueness. That is how it began the history of the most grand archaeological discovering of the 20th century - the Terracotta Army Qin Shihuandi.

At the site of discovery of the find, excavations were continued. They included several stages. And, as the work promotes, the place was applied to the indoor pavilion to protect against external destruction.
For the first 12-year period, it was possible to spread another 6,000 similar clay sculptures and, together with them also realistic horses performed. For the next period (he lasted just a year) - another 2000. Excavations continue to the present. Now, according to the results of the 40-year period of archaeological works, the number of clay soldiers is more than 8000. They constitute three multi-meter ranks and are located according to the combat time of the times of the Qin dynasty. This construction is part of the oldest top of the first emperor of the United China - Qin Shihuandi, who was obsessed with the idea of \u200b\u200bhis own immortality.

The history of the creation of the terracotta army

The beginning of the construction of the funeral complex refers to 247 BC. At that time, the Brazda of the Board took on the young. The history of his rule is rather contradictory. On the one hand, he managed to unite several warring states of the Ancient China, creating a new empire. But on the other hand, its conquest was distinguished by cruelty and bloodshed. Young Shihuhandi from the first day of his rule began to build a tomb for himself. The topic of immortality worried him throughout his life, which was pushing to create religious structures. In addition to the Grand Tomb, its initiative belongs to the construction of the Great Wall of China.

Terracotta army today

Nowadays, the place of excavations is surrounded by a huge museum complex with an area of \u200b\u200b50 sq.m. This is one of the cult and grand sightseeing of China. To see a monumental structure with its own eyes, you need to get to the village of Cigning, not far from Xiane (about 30 km). It is easily accessible to both public transport and own car. Since the place is quite popular, it is always crowded here. Before you buy a ticket, you will have to endure multi-kilometer queues before the cashier. However, all these inconveniences are compensated by the impressions of visiting the museum.

Video about the terracotta army in China

Take a video journey to China to the pavilions of the terracotta army.

The museum is a complex affecting its scale. It consists of three premises - pavilions. In some of them, excavations continue today. Museum's visitors are encouraged to start a tour of the third pavilion, where destroyed exhibits are collected, and then the rest, where the restoration work of the terracotta army has been completed.

The famous clay soldiers of the Chinese emperor Qin Shi-Huang Di are one of the most intriguing riddles for researchers.

In the 3th century BC. China, at the then - the Middle Empire - Rules In Zhenhaving a name Shi-Huang di, translated meaning "First Emperor". Immediately after joining the throne in 221 BC (In a very young age), he decided to take care of his afterwarding existence.

According to his order, over 700 thousand slaves and convicts were saddled from the capital of Mount Li-Shan. Through the stone stoneware, they built a giant crypt in the mountain with bronze walls. In the middle there was a place for sarcophagus. Under the vaults on the floor, they launched a map of the earth surface, where the seas and rivers differ in mercury. The ceiling was depicted the sky.

But the ruler could not go to the world without accompaniment. In the Chinese authored world, the rank challenge should have been respected more accurately than in life. The divine person of the emperor was to guard the numerous guard with weapons, horses, combat chariots. Thank God, kill or buried the soldiers of Shi-Juan-di warriors after his death in 246 BC did not become, they were only cut out of their copies of their copies in a variety.

Passed century. In the spring of 1974, the inhabitants of the Chinese province of Shanxing on the outskirts of the city of Xi'an were digging well and stumbled upon a failure. A tunnel was opened, which led to huge underground halls with clay sculptures.

The detected army consists of more than seven thousand full-size statues of warriors and horses, which were buried in 210-209 BC. Together with the Chinese ruler of Queen Shihuandi, the first emperor of feudal China. For the first time, he was able to unite the seven separate states under the authority of one ruler in the country and founded the dynasty, which was ruled from 221 to 207 to AD.

Historians believe that Qin was one of the most powerful and significant rulers in Chinese history, but its tyranny and incredible cruelty was the cause of a large-scale peasant uprising soon after his death, which put the end of the dynasty. The terracotta army was buried with his ruler, it was likely to provide him with the opportunity to satisfy his power sacking in the past world, just as he did during his lifetime. And, instead of living warriors, their clay copies were buried along with the emperor, their clay copies were buried, that some experts are regarded as a very progressive step, we should not forget that in addition to the statues of warriors, together with the Queen, it was buried in various estimates of up to 70 thousand (!) Workers together With your families, as well as about three thousand concubines. And these people, in contrast to the soldiers, were quite real.

The army of clay warriors rests in a combat construction in parallel scleps of 1.5 kilometers east of the tomb of the emperor himself. The latter, in turn, is located 33 km east from Ksian, the modern administrative center of Shaanxi Province, one of the central provinces of China. Scleps that have a depth of 4 to 8 meters are now on the territory of the relevant museum. The first one was opened for visitors back in 1979, and a fully museum became accessible only in 1994. Currently, archaeologists freed about 1,500 statues from the soil.

The fact that these are copies made from living people confirm not only the expressions of individuals, but also anthropological features. They view explicit similarity with residents of the central part of Shaanxi: Wide forehead, big mouth with thick lips, short mustache ...

To "settle" the imperial burials with a clay army, thousands of artisans invited the court. Folded statues burned in the oven. After that, for several days they were cooled in a special room. Then they were painted, dressed in silk clothes, they attached wooden hands and attached weapons. Wooden hands rotated freely in the shoulders - it was easier to own weapons in the afterlife battles.

All statues are hollow inside. Masters Qin Shi-Huang Di painted them according to the table of ranks. Soldiers are dressed in short bathrobes and breastplate shells without jewelry; Their hair is pulled by a node, on the legs - windings and shoes with a rectangular sock. Officers - in breastplate lats with decorations, high hats, on the legs - boots. Generals - in scaly lats with decorations and caps in the form of two birds. Arrows - with bows and samostroles, in breastplates and short coats.

Riders, driving, arrows with weapons in their hands seem alive. The half-one-meter horses froze waiting for a rapid throw ... Despite the fact that the paints were strongly blocked, the look of figures testifies to the very high level of skill and talent of the ancient Chinese craftsmen. And such statues are about 6 thousand!

Thousands of terracotta warriors pretended in the "combat readiness" of terracotta soldiers made up an amazing exposition that began to call the "eighth miracle of the world."

Figures of the warriors are true creations of art, since they were performed individually, manually and using various techniques. Each individual statue has its own unique features and even facial expressions. After making the necessary form of the statue, it was baked and covered with a special organic glaze, on top of which paint was applied. The presented soldiers differ in rank (officers, ordinary soldiers), and also by the type of weapons (spear, crossbow or sword).

In addition to clay statues in 1980, two bronze chariots were discovered 20 meters from the tomb of the emperor, each of which consists of more than 300 parts. Chariots are harnessed by fourth horses whose harness contains gold and silver elements. Soon after the death of the emperor, his tomb was plundered, and the fire caused by robbers was led to the ceiling collapse, burying a crowded clay army in a wet soil for more than two thousand years (it should, however, it should be noted that the plundered instant could actually be only One of the "pacifiers" created to remove the eyes, and the real tomb still should be searching. However, this is already a somewhat different story).

At the very first attempts to excavation statues, scientists faced a very sad phenomenon: in the air the outer layer of sculptures was rapidly degraded. According to Heinza Lanhols, the archaeologist from Munich University, "after extracting the statues immediately begin to push, and literally after five minutes of their coloring starts to be brought and seed." This occurs when the relative environmental humidity fall is up to 84%. To clarify the reason for the observed phenomenon, scientists conducted a chemical analysis of statues. It turned out that the reason for the inconvenience of paint is due to the fact that the organic composition used before painting, during a long stay in a wet soil underwent irreversible chemical changes. Therefore, now he fading, begins to peel off from the subject to the base together with the pigment printed over. To avoid the degradation of the cover, Lanhols together with his colleagues offered the following technology.

Statues recovered from the soil immediately placed in containers, the humidity in which is maintained at the same level as in the ground. Next, the entire surface of the sculptures is treated with an aqueous solution of a substance called hydroxyethyl methacrylate (Gama). The latter is a monomer of some plastic species produced today. Hamoles have small dimensions and penetrate the smallest pores filled with moisture. After such a processing of the statue is sent to the nearby Linton, where the particle accelerator is located.

Using the latest warriors, they irradiate with high-energy electrons, which causes the polymerization of molecules and the formation of "glue", which further binds the cover of a statue with a subject to terracotta. The advantages of the described method is that the Gam's molecules are water-soluble and are sufficiently small to penetrate the smallest slots, as well as the fact that the forming polymer does not modify the appearance of the statues, as many other compositions do (for example, many such substances are applied like lacquer and , hardening, cause some shine of the surface).

British scientist Maurice Cattell It believes that the hieroglyphs of the Chinese alphabet are encrypted in the expressions of clay warriors, with the help of which Shi-Huang Di tried to convey to the descendants of the daisy wisdom. According to the catterela, each component of the clay army - from the order of construction to the smallest details of the vestments - has a strictly defined value.

In essence, the terracotta army is a peculiar ancient book, and deciphering its secret symbols, people will not only comprehend the meaning of life, but also learn about the future. According to CATTEREL, "Encryption" contains information on the location of the zodiac signs and astrological events, on the basis of which the horoscopes can be made at any time. Who will take for this work?

Yuri Suprunenko

The Terracotta Army of the First Chinese Emperor Qin Shihandei (QIN SHI Huang) is one of the attractions that rightfully claim to the title of the eighth miracle of the world. Like many, I "have heard something" about her, but never really was interested in the details of the history of this army. Its location, where I recently went, it became a pleasant surprise for me.

Not far from his tomb, the Chinese emperor ordered to build and bury the army of more than eight thousand terracotta soldiers, officers and horses. All the figures were made in human growth, built in military order, and buried with the emperor themselves. Information about this burial was lost (or specially silent the chronicles of the Ancient China).

Built at the end of the third century BC, the army was not known for anyone for almost 2,200 years - until 1974. Then the Chinese peasants came across a large accopriety of figures, plowing the field. Archaeologists decided to check out the find, and understood that they deal with a unique burial.

It is necessary to say a couple of words about Qin Schihuandi, who is known for united China into a single state - for it, and is called the first emperor. Western people, he is most familiar with the film "Hero", in which it is trying to kill absolutely all other characters.

Qin, whose real name was in Zheng, took the throne at a young age - he was only 13 years old. He immediately ordered that work on his necropolia began, including the terracotta army. Maybe the boy was played by a boyish desire to "play the soldiers"? The emperor, however, for his life in real soldiers played - China's association occurred far from peaceful way.

Having lined up a huge state, Qin was also afraid of death, and a lot of money and efforts spent in search of immortality, having enriching a lot of charlatans. His life ended very ironically. He died at the age of fifty, during one of the trips on the Empire. It is believed that the cause of death is to choose mercury, which he ate in capsules made by its court alchemists, allegedly for immortality. Agree - die from the pills of immortality - very original.

It is interesting that I thought the fifty-year-old emperor, who tried to deceive death, to build a luxurious necropolis with blackjack and whores of a huge clay army about his youthful ventilate ...

To the site of burial, buses go from the center of Siane. Actually, it's about forty minutes, but we got into a plug, because of what more than one and a half hours were achieved.

All the Chinese drove with closed curtains, not expecting to see anything beautiful along the way. In general, they were right.

In China, it is impossible to get out of the bus and look at the attraction to which he arrived. Massive parking where you are planted, will definitely be a pair of kilometers from the entrance.

The pavilion in which the main part of the army is impressive with its size already outside. He is rather similar to the station building.

By the way, the terracotta army is assessed by the Chinese government as.

In total, archaeologists came off three pits with figures around which pavilions erected. Of these, the first is the largest, and contains the greatest number of soldiers. The most famous pictures of the army is from here. From the inside the room also looks like a station - the figures are built with even rows.

Each soldier of the army is made in a human height. Figures are very detailed depicting the style of the armor of the time.

It is believed that only 700,000 people worked over the necropolum of the emperor, most of them were engaged in the production of these figures. Different workshops looked heads, hands, legs and tors, then all this was going to whole figures. Thus, the terracotta army became one of the early examples of conveyor production. To track the quality of work, each workshop stamped its products, which today allows archaeologists to establish their number.

In addition to ordinary soldiers, in the army there were figures of officers, generals and even horses! In total, archaeologists expect the burial contains about 9,000 separate figures, of which most of which are not yet excavated - work is carried out to this day.

Some soldiers lack their heads - separate parts were easily fell off.

Scientists suggest that for the production of the whole army, only eight common forms of the face were used. After the face was manufactured, it was diverse, glowing the mustache, beard, eyebrows, etc., so that the soldiers were unique.

Figures on previous pictures are the most well-preserved. Their tourists see first of all, immediately after entering the first pavilion. The tourist platform is made at the height of the Third Floor. Those who will get on a separate excursion, or will pay extra for the photo (about $ 30) allow you to descend lower, and look at the army near.

Only a third of the first pavilion occupy whole figures. On the rest of the territory there are still work. The huge hall is divided into compartments, where archaeologists still come true.

When the figures are digging, they often represent an incomprehensible pile:

Scientists separate a piece of territory, and begin to carefully assemble parts of the figures, sorting them, and trying to restore whole warriors. This allows accidentally not to confuse pieces from different parts of the army. Each figure is a puzzle, in which it certainly does not have enough pieces.

Semi-assembled figures are wound with a ribbon, so as not to fall apart. Then from will be glued and enveloped with cellophane, so that the glue is dried. Here on this plot of soldiers are almost ready.

To streamline work, the figures are numbered.

This is how archaeologists restore the soldiers in two thousand years. As if the doctor taught the broken arm. Although it is.

It is not clear why different pieces are so distinguished by color. Are there any parts - Novodel? ..

But another soldier receives Botox from two cute girls:

As I said, the first pavilion is the biggest, and most interesting. But the other two is also not worth passing, especially since they are very close in Chinese standards.

Here is the second - it is less and deeper, there is not so many soldiers here, but those that are - in good condition.

To tourists were not quite boring, it can be photographed with the Bouta Four Rows of the Army (those from the first pavilion). Two rows of soldiers - copies from the real figures, further goes a relief layout, and finally a photo wallpaper. But the photos are almost as if you were climbed into this pit.

They still have a photoshop craftsmen there, who may have your photo "Sharpen" on the clay figure. It turns out on the troechka. There are all sorts of celebrity outphotos. Even Putin is.

Thanks to Yule for a photo

Excavations of the third pavilion have not yet begun. So far, he only delimited on the plots.

With us some not very professionally looking people there something dug. Maybe a delegation of any VIP?

But here there is a chance to look at some of the figures slide - they stand in glass cabinets, and you can approach very close.

This archer is most likely in his hands was a wooden crossbow, which in two thousand years Istlel. Figure or very well preserved, or it was meticulously restored. It is written that this is one of the few figures on which the places managed to keep paint!

It is believed that all the figures were painted and lacquered. In many colors, the army was preserved until the army was under the ground, but after contact with the dry air, the paint was collapsed and disappeared in seconds! And look at the detail of the sole ...

But this is a general. He has a horse armor.

But all the ranks have the same shoes with an outdated square nose. So because since 2002th is not worn!

You can also see the horse closer. Next to him his rider stands.

The output, as in such cases is done, be sure through Gift Shop. There are many trinkets on the theme of the terracotta army in the shop. There are figures of soldiers. Just for some reason, they are all made from different matters, except Terra Cat.

There are plastic, porcelain, metal. WHAT AFTER, BUT NOT terracotta. I even asked the saleswoman:

"Do you have terracotta figures?"

She showed all those from different materials. "Yes, here they are," they say.

"No, I mean, so that the terra cats were made. Well, from clay."

The saleswoman this question puzzled, as if she had never imagined that someone would want a souvenir of the terracotta army made exactly from the same material as the priest. "No, there are no such, she said."

A men came to me immediately, and as if he had taken a box with five figurines from under the floor.

"I heard you wanted from Terra Cat?" He asked herself. Saleswomen were not clearly not satisfied with his presence. "Only one hundred fifty yuan ($ 21) for all five figures!"

"And for one?" I asked.

"Thirty," a man quickly counted in the mind - this is somewhere 4. "But it is better to take the whole box. For you, I will give for one hundred twenty."

I offered him ten at the onu figure, but he insisted that I took all five. The price at the same time Katostrofically fell, as you remove from the store.

"One hundred for all five! .. 90! .. 80! .. 50! .." I already thought that I offered a lot for one soldier, and the price of the box continued to fall. "30 for all five! .. 20! .." said the dude. As a result, feeling a complete idiot, I still led him ten yuan for one figurine.

After passing a hundred meters, I saw aunt selling the whole box for five.

The terracotta army is rightfully considered to be a UNESCO World Heritage, as such a cultural monument will not meet anywhere. Warriors, horses and chariots of Emperor Qin Shihuandy testify about his strength and power. True, it is believed that he was a very progressive ruler of his time, since according to traditions, the most valuable was buried together with the ruler, including people, and his grand army - only sculptures.

What does the terracotta army look like?

The found soldiers are located under the Alshhan Mountain, which is more like a buried city with a huge number of valuable items of historical limitation. Among the sculptures there are not only soldiers, but also horses, as well as richly decorated chariots. Each person and horse are made by hand, soldiers have special, unique features of the face and figures, each has their own weapons: crossbows, swords, spears. Moreover, there are infantrymen, cavalry and officer composition, which is traced in the specifics of the robes, the details of which are worked out to the smallest detail.

Many wonder what the whole stone army of terracotta sculptures is made. It is made of clay, but the soldiers were brought from different areas of the country, since most of them differ in the composition of the raw materials used. The horses, according to researchers, are made of rock taken from the mountain Lishhan. The cause of this is a lot of weight, which would significantly complicate transportation. The average weight of horses over 200 kg, and the human figure is about 130 kg. The technology of manufacturing sculptures is single: they were given the right shape, then baked, covered with special icing and paint.

The history of the advent of great burial

There can be no doubt about the country in which soldiers were discovered, because in China that period was made to burnt alive with the deceased ruler, the most valuable for him. It was for this reason that the first ruler of the Qin dynasty at the age of 13 thought about how his tomb will look like, and began the large-scale construction of the tomb.

His board can be called significant for Chinese history, as he united the warring kingdoms, completing the period of cruelty, robbery and fragmentation. As a sign of his grandeur, he destroyed all the monuments dated with the period before his board, and burned the manuscript describing the course of early time. From 246 BC The construction of the tomb of Qin Shihuangi began and ended to 210 BC, when the emperor was placed there after death.

According to the legend, at first he planned to burrow with him 4,000 warriors, but the population of the empire was too insignificant after many years of endless wars. It was then that he came the idea to put the terracotta army along with him, while she had to remind the real army. Nobody knows exactly how much the warrior was placed in the tomb. According to their calculations more than 8000, but might have a lot of unsolved secrets underground.

In addition to his army, the Great Emperor burned along with him the concubines, as well as about 70,000 workers who worked on the creation of a cultural monument. The construction of the tomb lasted 38 years and day, and at night, as a result of which she spread out about one and a half kilometers, forming a whole city, buried under the ground. A lot of strange facts are encrypted about this place in the manuscripts that may indicate new secrets, not yet disclosed.

Russian riddles research

For many years, the inhabitants of Sihani packed through the hilly terrain and did not even assume that miracles with a thousand-year history were hidden under their feet called the Terracotta Army. In this area, clay shards were often found, but they were believed to be touched and, especially, to carry them. In 1974, the tomb found Yan Ji Wang, who wanted to break through the well at the Mount Lishhan. At a depth of about 5 meters, the farmer came across the head of one of the soldiers. For historians and archaeologists, Nakhodka has become a real shock and the beginning of long research.

Excavations took place in three stages, the last of which is still not completed. More than 400 warriors of the terracotta army from those found first were sent to museums around the world, but most of the way remained in China, where the emperor is located, who created an amazing historical monument. At the present moment, the protected tomb is the most valuable property of the country, because the most high-ranking guests are invited here in order to evaluate the grandeur of the first king of the Qin dynasty.

An excursion to the buried city can visit every tourist. To do this, you do not even need to know how to get from Beijing, because most tours include a visit to the terracotta army. In the course of it, it is possible to make a photo of a huge building of clay sculptures with different expressions of individuals, as if petrified for thousands of years.