Shaanxi, China, 13 June 2012
In the Chinese province of Shaanxi, archaeologists have discovered a hundred new terracotta warriors from the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, first Emperor of China.
The Chinese Emperor’s terracotta army was discovered by chance by farmers in 1974. However, only a quarter of the mausoleum had been discovered until now, as stated by the German newspaper Welt on 11 June 2012. This time, a hundred warriors, horses, items, and weapons were found. As stated by Shen Maosheng, representative of the mausoleum in the Welt newspaper, the discoveries are in fantastic condition.
Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China (259-210 BC) was the founder of the Qin Dynasty. 700,000 workers apparently worked on the mausoleum’s construction. The mausoleum, now one of the most important tourist attractions in China, stretches over a fifty km2 surface.
The terracotta army is one of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries made during the 20th century. In 1987, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the German newspaper Spiegel, it comprises of between approximately 7,000 and 8,000 warriors. Until now, around 7,200 sculptures and soldiers have been discovered.