Workers examining the remains of a terracotta army general- credit: CCTVThough under continuous archaeological excavation for nearly 50 years, the famous Terracotta Army in China has thrown up yet another discovery.
A new ‘general’ has been found in one of the excavation pits, identified by his crossed hands, ribbon-like adornments, and headdress. Only 10 other general statues have been discovered amid the 8,000 life-sized figurines.
Located in Shaanxi Province, the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, to which the thousands of terracotta soldiers and support staff are simply one feature, was discovered 50 years ago.
It is currently celebrating its half-centiniary with special museum exhibitions of figures and discoveries never put on display before.
The general was found in excavation Pit No.2, wherein three clay horses, two chariots, and various other terracotta figures were also found and which more, experts said, remain under the earth.
“Based on its location, we believe this figure was likely the highest-ranking military commander of this unit,” said Zhu Sihong, head of the excavation project in a report aired on Monday by state broadcaster CCTV.
Built by the order of Qin Shi Huang, the despotic first emperor of a completely unified China with borders that a modern map reader would recognize, the soldiers, chariots, animals, acrobats, and other figures that make up the Terracotta Army are reasoned to be a reflection of the Qin Emperor’s real fighting force.
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That makes every soldier valuable not only as an exemplary piece of ancient craftsmanship (no two are completely alike, whether in body position, facial aspect, clothing, or armament) but also a kind of primary source material for understanding the composition of the army that unified China after centuries of turmoil.
The general statues are easy to single out because of their headdresses and the positioning of their hands and arms, which tend to be clasped together or folded. With 8,000 figures and 10 known officers, one might hypothesize that each general commanded 800 men, and that the presence of an eleventh may suggest there are a few more figures left to be uncovered.
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The mausoleum is one of the most historically important sites in the whole country, and still contains secrets. Surprisingly-large portions of the tomb complex remain unexcavated, including the section that is believed to contain the Emperor’s remains.
This section, from ancient writings, is claimed to have been crafted after the fashion of a garden with a vaulted ceiling covered in gemstones to represent the stars, and a fish pond of mercury. Bizarrely high concentrations of mercury have been identified in soils in the surrounding area.
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