from the Terracotta army site. Worth seeing.
TWO LAST SHOTS
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Tag Archives: Terracotta Army
PIT 2, UNDER EXCAVATION
Pit 2, located 20 meters north of Pit 1 is very different. Smaller (but still 6,000 meters square), and shaped in an “L” it contains mixed military forces of archers, charioteers, cavalry and infantry. At present, a large portion remains unexcavated.
I would think that when deciding if you wish to be an archaeologist, the first question you should ask yourself is “Do I like jigsaw puzzles?”
Well preserved charioteers.
TERRACOTTA ARMY, PIT 1
A few more shots from Pit 1. The front of the pit is all assembled in neat rows.
The back is still under excavation with the soldiers being excavated and assembled.
Saran wrap, not just for keeping your produce fresh.
If you look closely, you can see remnants of the original paint.
An army partly assembled. Note how each horse is different.
A chariot partially recovered.
One last shot from Pit 1, to give you a sense of scale.
They still have lots to uncover.
HAULING
I wonder how many Terracotta warriors and dirt this old cart has hauled over the years?
Looks like new tires.
TERRACOTTA ARMY, XI’AN
The Terracotta Army went on my personal bucket list many years go while living in England, at the O2 for one reason – seeing 30 warriors at the British Museum did not cut it.
The army is estimated to have taken 36 years to complete and 700,000 workers. At the time I did not know where Xi’an was in China, I certainly did not think that we would be living in Tokyo (although Singapore was always heavily under family consideration), but I knew it had to happen.
It was worth the wait and the effort. Broken into a series of “pits”, with several still being excavated, the scale of the place is staggering.
Thousands of warriors, each different standing in rows, their weapon disintegrated but their bodies remaining. Amazing.
On many you can still see the paint remnants.
Rows, and rows and rows.
The chariots.
Oddly enough, this is the only warrior I saw that looked out of proportion. A charioteer.
700,000 people and 36 years. It boggles the mind.
PIT 1
The Terracotta Army, Xi’an, China.
Michael Weening: a few pictures 