Individuality Unearthed

Pit No. 3 is the smallest of the three main pits and it contains the army commanders. The chariot found in this pit is not a battle chariot but a lighter model with more decoration that may have allowed the army commanders to view the battle in more comfort than the regular troops, or fighting officers.

Many of the warriors in this pit have been smashed completely or their heads, at least, are missing. However, the horses, chariot and four warriors accompanying it are largely intact.

The detail on the warriors is astonishing. Attention was paid to even the smallest of details: fingernails, hair, mustaches. If one looks closely enough, reports indicate, it can even be determined which cloth the warriors' shirts were intended to be made from--silk, cotton or something even rougher, almost like burlap. The texture can be distinguished in the surface of almost every terra cotta warrior.

Pit No. 4 is something of a mystery. Archaeologists and historians believe this pit was to be the tomb of the criminals who dug and the artisans who crafted this great tomb. However, with the premature death of Qin Shihuangdi, they were granted a reprieve, unlike the childless wives of the emperor, who were buried with him. Pit No. 4 has been mostly refilled.

Achieving Immortality
It would be difficult to go into greater detail regarding this great discovery without getting into an article of considerable length. However, many books and web sites can provide further information.

At least I may mention that this past summer The International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, held a special exhibit called Imperial China: The Art of the Horse in Chinese History. Some of the terra cotta warriors, horses and chariots were part of this amazing exhibit. Needless to say, my three-year-old son was most taken with the horses themselves. I was awed to stand face-to-face with a kneeling warrior who was once probably part of Qin's terra cotta infantry.

At 5'4", I am of average height; the kneeling warrior and I were on eye level. I was completely unprepared for how lifelike the warriors appear close up. Hard to believe anyone would go to this enormous trouble only to bury thousands of these works of art with a dead emperor.

On another note, Qin Shihuangdi truly did achieve the immortality he was after through this spectacular tomb. China has unearthed a treasure

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