Terracotta Warriors By Drew Peltzman and Ariella Katz

The Terra Cotta Warriors are very special. They were claimed to be the eighth wonder of the world; there was nothing like them.

The 4 Pits Pit 1- The Battle Guard and Infantry Pit 1 is the largest; larger than two football fields. It has 6,000 soldiers. 2,000 of the soldiers stand in rows of three. Behind them are horses, chariots, and more soldiers. The infantry soldiers walk on foot, carrying spears and swords. They stand in sword formation. Behind them, cavalrymen ride chariots. The floor is mud, the walls wood. It is said that pit 1was once black, the color of the Qin dynasty.

The 4 Pits Pit 2- The Horseback Heroes Pit 2 is the most impressive of all. It protects the emperor on his final journey in the afterlife. It has 1,300 soldiers, 80 chariots, and 100’s of horses. The chariots stand ready for combat, with a charioteer and two warriors flanking him on either side. The chariots are surrounded by 264 foot soldiers, and eight armed horsemen. A cavalryman sits atop a horse, a drawn bow in one hand, and the reins in the other.

The 4 Pits Pit 3, The Headless Leaders, and Pit 4 Pit 3 is the command post-it is intended to be where high-ranking officers would get together to strategize. The officers are unique in in their armor and uniforms. Taller than most soldiers, the generals stand 6 feet, 2 inches tall. There are 68 warriors in this “U” shaped pit-most of them headless. This is a result of vandalizing through the millennia. A chariot, drawn by 4 horses completes the pit. Pit 3 also contains artifacts made of gold, bronze, and stone. Most of these artifacts remain today as some of the best art of all time. Pit 4 is empty, assumed to be unfinished

Why the Terra Cotta Warriors Were Built The Terra Cotta Warriors were formed when China’s 7 states were at war. They were built to guard emperor Qin She Huang in the afterlife. This was because Qin Si Huang, the fierce fighter was afraid of death. Now, this was not unreasonable. If 7 states under your command were at war, you would be pretty scared too. The Terra Cotta Warriors were built for one other reason-combat. Victory was their only aim, combat-their lifeblood.

When the Terra Cotta Warriors Were Built The Terra Cotta Warriors were first built in 246 BCE. They took 30 years to build, and 1,000’s of workers helped build them. Then, in 1947, they were rediscovered when farmers were digging a well. At first, the farmers thought they were just pieces of clay. Then, other people found out and started putting the pieces together. This was how the Terra Cotta warriors emerged from the underworld.

Armor The armor the Terracotta Warriors wear is complicated. It was made by overlapping plates of bronze, iron, or lacquered leather. If a suit were made out of 612 pieces of lacquered leather it would be 40 pounds THAT IS HEAVY!!!!!!; would you want 40 pounds of armor on you? To make all the armor it took about 3,600 artisans a year. The armor could not defend against weapons of bronze but the armor was made actually for the after life.

Weapons The weapons the Terracotta Warriors hold is real and wild. Over 20 spectacular swords have been found in the 4 pits. Most of the swords were almost a spectacular 4 feet long. Over the centuries, they have not lost their smooth surfaces nor their sharp edges. The crossbow was an innovation in weaponry. It was one of the most powerful weapons in the world at that time. It had a range of 800 meters. They were easy to control so they were accurate and could reload fast. A halberd technically is a dagger with a long handle. Most halberds have 2-4 blades, which were made if it misted someone it could hit someone next to the person.