What is the terracotta army and how is it so well made?

The Terracotta Army consists of over seven thousand clay soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons buried in a tomb with the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di. Over 2,000 years ago, the pieces in the Terracotta Army were made from clay and then baked in the sun to dry.

The fact that a great many of the pieces are still intact today is proof of the durability of clay. In ancient times, clay was used not only for sculptures, but also for buildings, roof titles, flooring, walls, and even floors. The chemical binding properties of clay are what make it such a versatile and long-lasting material.

It was in 1974 when Chinese workers who were digging a well came across terracotta statues which looked like army men. After more and more digging and research by some of the best archaeologists in China, it was discovered that the Terracotta Army was actually part of the burial site of Qin Shi Huang who had died in the year 210 BC. In total, there are 7,000 statues that comprise the Terracotta Army. Qin was the ruler of the country for just 11 years until his death.

It is believed that with the detail of the statues that are part of the Terracotta Army that the planning and construction of the burial site was one that was planned and constructed well before Qin had passed away. Another interesting thing about the Terrcotta Army was how well defined the weapons and the accessories were with the statues. The site has become one of the more popular achaeological sites in the world and scientists from all around the world study the Terrcotta Army and compare the statues to other acient statues and finds from all around the world.