In front of these people, displayed under a structure the size of a large airplane hangar, is one of the most significant archaeological discoveries... well... ever.  22 centuries ago, an entire life-sized army made of baked clay - terracotta - was buried here to protect an emperor’s tomb.  Three decades ago, members of that army - known today as the terracotta warriors - once again saw the light of day.

Today, this is a working museum; excavation continues, with only a fraction of the soldiers unearthed so far.  When the excavation has completed decades from now, an estimated eight thousand figures will have been brought to the surface - six thousand of them from this particular site, known as Pit 1.

The story of this discovery is now legend.  Local farmers searching for water were drilling a series of wells here when one of them discovered large pottery fragments.  They notified the village leader, who notified the local government, and on and on, until a provincial team of archaeologists was sent to the site and discovered the buried army’s existence fifteen to twenty feet below ground.  This is the farmer who made that discovery back in March 1974; today, he spends time at the musuem gift shop autographing souvenir books for purchasers.  Millions of people each year stop by this place to see what he discovered.

What those archaeologists discovered was not the orderly phalanx of soldiers standing in perfect battle formation that one sees on display today - 22 centuries takes its toll on an army made of clay.  This excavation from Pit 3 is more typical of what they found after carefully clearing away the dirt.  The floor bricks are part of the original structure.

Once inspected and repaired, the soldiers were returned to the pit to their original positions within the formation - long columns of horse-drawn chariots, armored warriors, and unarmored warriors.

No armor on these guys in front of the formation.  The three rows of vanguards were originally equipped with actual crossbows, bows, and arrows.

Behind the vanguards are soldiers making up the main battle formation.  Those shown here have body armor; true armor at that time was made of leather or iron dominoes wired together.  Other excavations in the area have discovered examples of stone-domino armor, which was probably ceremonial rather than practical.  Hundreds of excavations are taking place in this area east of Xi’an, and many are proving fruitful.

A terracotta general, on display elsewhere in the museum.  The army buried here belonged to no ordinary emperor: Qin Shihuang, one of the most important people in China’s long history, was its very first emperor.  He earned that title by starting as king of his own state and then conquering the six other states of the region, unifying them to form the Qin Empire - basically, a smaller version of present-day China.  He created the Great Wall, using the existing defensive walls of those defeated states as a starting point.  He also had an obsession with death and immortality, which helps to explain the existence of this place.  Imagine starting construction on your own mausoleum as a teenager and bringing it to just near completion at the time of your death some 35 years later.

Chariot horses in an excavation area of Pit 3.  The level of detail in all the figures is stunning.  Many people have heard about the faces of the terracotta warriors being distinct, perhaps matching those of the laborers who created this army.  But even the horses are detailed: archaeologists determined that they were modeled on real horses six years of age - by looking at their sculpted teeth.

The museum building atop Pit 3.  Seeing the terracotta warriors is certainly a highlight of a visit to Xi’an - or to China, for that matter - but the city has far more to offer than I was able to see on this short stay, so I hope to return someday to cover the area more fully.