The Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum revealed the newest significant discoveries unearthed in the mausoleum’s No.1 pit during the third excavation on Thursday, including rules for the forms of the Terracotta Warriors army, ruins in the tunnel adjacent to the pit, and the procedure used to assemble the warriors.

In 2009, the third digging started in No.1 pit, which covers an area of about 430 square metres. So far, the museum has found more than 220 terracotta figures, 16 terracotta horses, four chariots, and other cultural relics like weapons and tools for making things.

A museum researcher named Shen Maosheng told the media that the excavation has done more than just find these cultural artefacts. It has also made some important discoveries.

Through the digging, Chinese researchers have found out what kinds of weapons the Terracotta Warriors used and how they were set up. They have also learned about the formations and patterns of the mysterious underground army.

Shen said that the excavation also showed how the figurines were put together. After the terracotta figures were sculpted, Shen said, they were decorated with fine details before their arms were glued together.

Some ruins were found in the tunnel of the pit, which was another big step forward. This shows that someone dug up the tunnel to get into the pit. According to Thepaper.cn, researchers think it could be people who helped build the pit and knew how it was put together.

Researchers linked them to Qin Dynasty soldiers who turned themselves in to Xiang Yu, a noble of the Chu state who rebelled against the Qin Dynasty and became a famous warlord. Researchers now think that if Xiang had told these people to do so, they must have tried to destroy the tomb and the pit where the Terracotta Warriors were buried. So, the fact that something was found in the tunnel is strong proof that Xiang tried to destroy the mausoleum.

Zhang Ying, an expert in Qin and Han Dynasty archaeology, told the Global Times on Thursday that the idea that the tunnel was made by Qin soldiers who had surrendered to Xiang is “bold but reasonable.”

“Because the tunnel was dug without any obvious signs of damage, it is clear that the people who dug it knew how the Terracotta Warriors pit was built, and they were probably the same people who helped build the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin.”

Info source – Global Times