The Terracotta Army[兵马俑]

TheTerracottaArmyisoneofthegreatest,andmostfamous,archaeologicaldiscoveriesofalltime.6,000life-sizefiguresofwarriorsandhorseswereinterredintheMausoleumoftheFirstEmperorofChina-eachisindividuallycarved,andtheyarethoughttorepresentrealmembersoftheemperor'sarmy.Thisistheremarkablestoryoftheircreation,themanwhoorderedthemmade,theirrediscoveryandtheircontinuinglegacyasapre-eminentsymbolofChinesegreatness.TheFirstEmperor,QinShiHuang,waskingoftheChinesestateofQinandthefirstmantouniteChinaintoasingleempire.HebuiltthefirstGreatWallandbroughtasinglewrittenscripttothewholecountry.Hewasaninspiredandruthlessruler,butonealsobesetbyparanoiaandadesireforimmortality.HeisstillconsideredthefoundingfatherofthemodernstateofChina.Onhisdeathin210BChewasburiedinagiantmausoleumnearmodern-dayXi'an.Legendsofthetreasurescontainedthereinstilltantalizetheimaginationtoday.In1974localfarmersdiggingawellforwaterbrokethroughintotheburialmoundandfoundthefirstoftheTerracottawarriors.Furtherexcavationshaverevealedthefullsplendouroftheburiedarmy.Butthemajorityofthemausoleumisyettobeopened,includingtheburialchamberitself-mythtellsusthatamongstthetreasuresyettobeuncoveredisavastmapoftheFirstEmperor'skingdomwithriversmarkedwithchannelsofflowingmercury.ThestoryoftheFirstEmperorandtheTerracottaArmyisafascinatingone,notleastforthediscoveriesyettobemade.