The Terracotta Warriors
Speaker: Dr. Cortney Chaffin Kim
Tomb of the First Emperor of China
The tomb of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, and his Terracotta Army is one of the most fascinating tomb sites in the history of Chinese archaeology. The tomb of the First Emperor of China, who died in 210 BCE, was never excavated, but in the 1970s three pits were found nearby that contained a terracotta army.
Warriors in pits (various), Qin dynasty, c. 210 BCE, painted terracotta, from the mausoleum of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, Xi'an, China. Photo: © Larry Ball
These pits contained over 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors lined up in trenches in military formation. The terracotta warriors look like they are individualized, but we explain why this is just an illusion! Learn how the sculptures were made and about their function in the afterlife of the First Emperor of China in this detailed video about the terracotta army.
Video chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:13 Qin Shi Huangdi
0:59 The terracotta army pits
2:00 The terracotta soldiers and how they were made
4:52 Function of the terracotta army
Learn more
Learn more about Early Imperial China.
See all of our AP Art History resources.
Check out our entire glossary of art history, history, and archaeology.
