Period 9 · c. 1600 BCE-220 CE

Chinese Art

Chinese art runs from ritual bronzes to imperial tombs and painted scrolls. Start here for the Terracotta Army, the life-size clay soldiers buried with China's first emperor, and the guides to Chinese art that follow.

Rows of terracotta soldiers standing in a trench of Pit 1. — Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, Pit 1, terracotta army, Qin dynasty, late 3rd century BCE. Painted terracotta, life-size figures. Lintong, near Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. Look at the soldiers standing in ranks, shoulder to shoulder, in the trench.Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Chinese Art

The Terracotta Army Was Found by Farmers Digging a Well

In 1974 farmers digging a well near Xi’an hit clay soldiers buried to guard China’s first emperor in the afterlife.Start here7 min read

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Archaeology

The Terracotta Army Was Found by Farmers Digging a Well

In 1974 farmers digging a well near Xi’an hit clay soldiers buried to guard China’s first emperor in the afterlife.7 min read