Xi'an Terra Cotta Warriors On Sunday, Jim, Doug and I visited the Terra Cotta Warriors archeologic site near Xi’an. Here, in 1974, a couple of farmers digging a well, discovered the 2000+-year-old remains of an entire Chinese army division sculpted in clay, and carefully arranged in appropriate formations. Each figure is different, and accurately represents the uniforms, weapons, chariots, horses, armor and configuration of military units and divisions of this era. The warriors were commissioned by the emperor to accompany him to his grave, and thus were purposefully buried in well-built chambers, the remains of which survive to this day. The artists preserved their metal weapons using a thin application of chrome plating, a technique not discovered again until the 20th century by the US and German armies. I marvel at the sophistication and artistry of
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