Emperor Qin's Tomb -- The Terracotta ​ Army protects the tomb of China's first emperor.

By John Roach

Workers digging a well outside the city of Xi'an, China, in 1974 struck upon one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world: a life-size clay soldier poised for battle.

The diggers notified Chinese authorities, who dispatched government archaeologists to the site.

They found not one, but thousands of clay soldiers, each with unique facial expressions and positioned according to rank. And though largely gray today, patches of paint hint at once brightly colored clothes. Further excavations have revealed swords, arrow tips, and other weapons, many in pristine condition.

The soldiers are in trenchlike, underground corridors. In some of the corridors, clay horses are aligned four abreast; behind them are wooden chariots. The terra-cotta army, as it is known, is part of an elaborate burtial tomb created to accompany the first emperor of China into the afterlife, according to archaeologists. All cultures dating back at least 50,000 years have believed in some form of afterlife! YOUNG EMPEROR Ying Zheng took the throne in 246 B.C. at the age of 13. By 221 B.C. he had unified a collection of warring kingdoms and took the name of Qin Shi Huang Di—the First Emperor of Qin (Qin = China!).

During his rule, Qin standardized coins, weights, and measures; interlinked the states with canals and roads; and is credited for building the first version of the Great Wall.

According to writings of court historian Siam Qian during the following Han dynasty, Qin ordered the tomb’s construction shortly after taking the throne. More than 700,000 laborers ​ worked on the project, which was halted in 209 B.C. amid uprisings a year after Qin's death. ​

To date, four pits have been partially excavated. Three are filled with the terra-cotta soldiers, horse-drawn chariots, and weapons. The fourth pit is empty, a testament to the original unfinished construction. Archaeologists estimate the pits may contain as many as 8,000 figures, but the total may never be known.

UNEXCAVATED TOMB Qin's tomb itself remains unexcavated, though Siam Qian's writings suggest even greater treasures

Modern tests on the tomb mound have revealed unusually high concentrations of mercury, lending credence to at least some of the historical account.

Chinese archaeologists are also using remote-sensing technology to probe the tomb mound. The technique recently revealed an underground chamber with four stairlike walls. An archaeologist working on the site told the Chinese press that the chamber may have been built for the soul of the emperor. Experimental pits dug around the tomb have revealed dancers, musicians, and acrobats full of life and caught in mid-performance, a sharp contrast to the military poses of the famous terra-cotta soldiers.

But further excavations of the tomb itself are on hold, at least for now.

"It is best to keep the ancient tomb untouched, because of the complex conditions inside," Duan Qinbao, a researcher with the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeology Institute, told the China Daily. ​ ​ Who was China’s First Emperor? (Emperor Qin) Occupation: Emperor of China Reign: ​ 221 BC to 210 BC Born: 259 BC Died: 210 BC ​ ​ ​ Best known for: First Emperor of ​ China, established the Qin Dynasty

Biography: Early Life Prince ​ Zheng was born in 259 BC. His father was king of the Qin state. At the time Zheng was born, China was divided up into 7 major states. These states fought each other all the time. Historians call this time in Chinese history the Warring States period. Qin Shi Huangdi by Unknown Growing up as a prince, Zheng was well educated. He learned about China's history and also about war. He would someday rule the Qin and would lead his warriors into battle against the other states.

Becoming King: When Zheng was just thirteen years old his father died. Zheng was now king ​ at a very young age. For the first several years, a regent helped him to rule the land, but by the time he was 22, King Zheng took full control. He was very ambitious. He wanted to conquer the other Chinese states and unite China under one rule.

Uniting China and Becoming Emperor -- Once he had complete control of the state of Qin, ​ King Zheng set out to conquer the other six Chinese states. He took them on one by one. The first state he conquered was the Han state. Then he quickly conquered the Zhao and the Wei. Next he took on the powerful Chu state. Once the Chu state was defeated the remaining Yan and Qi states fell easily. Now King Zheng was leader of all of China. He declared himself emperor and changed his name to Shi Huang, which meant "first emperor".

Organizing the Empire: Qin Shi Huang did much to organize his new empire. He wanted it to ​ run smoothly for thousands of years. He established reforms in many areas including: Government - Emperor Qin did not want the conquered states to think of themselves as independent nations. He divided the country into administrative units. There were 36 "commanderies" which were further divided into districts and counties. He also declared that government positions would be appointed according to people's abilities (Meritocracy).

Economy - Emperor Qin also unified China by establishing a common currency (money) and ​ ​ ​ standard units of measure. With everyone using the same money and measurements, the economy ran much smoother. Writing - Another important reform was a standard way of writing. There were many ways of writing ​ in China at the time. Under Emperor Qin, everyone was required to teach and use the same type of writing.

Construction - Emperor Qin made a number of improvements to the infrastructure of China. ​ He had a vast network of roads and canals built throughout the country. This helped to improve trade and travel. He also began the building of the Great Wall of China. He had many of the existing walls throughout the country connected to form a long wall that would protect China from the invaders to the north. A Tyrant: Although Emperor Qin was a skilled leader, he also was a tyrant. He outlawed most ​ forms of religion requiring people to be loyal and obedient only to the government. He also ordered that most of the existing books be burned. He wanted history to begin with his rule and the Qin dynasty. Those scholars who did not bring their books to be burned were killed. Death: Qin Shi Huang died while traveling on a tour of Eastern China in 210 BC. His second ​ son, Huhai, was on the trip with him. He wanted to become emperor, so he hid his father's death and forged a letter from his father to his older brother telling him to commit suicide. After his brother killed himself, Huhai became emperor.

Interesting Facts about Emperor: Qin He was obsessed with trying to live forever (Like Gilgamesh from Mesopotamia). He had ​ his best scientists work on finding an elixir of immortality that would enable him to never die. Emperor Qin had thought his family would rule China for thousands of years. However, the empire collapsed only three years after his death (Ha… loser). Some documents indicate that he was the son of a lowly merchant and not the son of the King of Qin. When he first became King of Qin, there were many assassination attempts on his life. Perhaps this is what made him so obsessed with living forever!!! Questions

1) How was Emperor Qin similar to our boy Gilgamesh that we read about at the beginning

of the semester?

2) What have all known human cultures believed in?

3) What did Emperor Qin do to strengthen his Qin Empire?

4) How many workers did Qin force to work on his Terra-Cota army?

5) Emperor Qin ‘Centralized’ his government and its power. What does this mean?