Chapter 21 Section 1 Qin Xianyang Palace and Qinshihuang Mausoleum Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Pit

The site of Xianyang, capital of the Qin Dynasty, is located 15 kilometers east of Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province.It was the political center of Qin State from Shang Yang Reform to Qin Shihuang. The survey began in 1959, and a group of high platform palace foundations have been excavated, which are located on the east and west sides of Shangyuan Valley Road (now known as Niuyanggou) in Qin Dynasty.The first and third base sites are on the west side, and the second base site is on the east side.According to research, the group of confronting palaces were connected into one by the Feige corridor across the valley road at that time.Form a complex of terraces and pavilions full of artistic charm.

No. 1 base site, the plane is slightly "L" shaped.It is 60 meters from east to west, 45 meters from north to south, and 6 meters high.Build a house according to the platform, overlapping and rising.The base is divided into upper and lower two-story buildings.The main hall is in the middle of the upper floor, and the surrounding and lower floors are respectively bedrooms, washrooms, and bathing rooms.The ground floor is a corridor. The No. 2 base site is slightly in the shape of a knife handle.It is wide in the west and narrow in the east, 127 meters from east to west, and 32.8-45.5 meters from north to south.The main room is in the middle of the west half, with a square plan.It is 19.8 meters from east to west and 19.5 meters from north to south.Four rooms remain in the eastern half, two of which are known to be underground washrooms.There are corridors and drainage facilities around the foundation site.

The No. 3 base site is in the southwest of the No. 1 base site, and there are rammed earth connections between them.It is rectangular in plane, 17 meters from east to west, 60 meters from north to south, and 1.5 meters high.There are no remains of the main hall.There are 11 existing surrounding rooms, the largest of which is 115.2 square meters.There is a north-south gallery on the east side of the base, 32.4 meters from north to south, and 5 meters wide from east to west, with a total of nine rooms.Murals are painted on the east and west walls.The subject matter is the ceremonial guard of the king of Qin traveling in chariots and horses.Among them are chariots and horses, figures, flowers and trees, buildings and other images.Qin palace murals are the earliest materials of palace murals in my country.

The Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC) is located on the plain at the northern foot of Lishan Mountain, five kilometers east of Lintong County, Shaanxi Province.It faces the Weihe River in the north, like a towering hill.After long-term census and drilling by archaeologists, it has been found out that the majestic scale of the cemetery and the richness of underground burials are truly unprecedented. There are two inner and outer city walls around the mausoleum, both of which are rectangular in the north-south direction.The inner city is 1,355 meters long from north to south, 580 meters wide from east to west, and 3,870 meters in circumference.There is a partition wall in the middle of the inner city, which divides the inner city into two parts, the north and the south.In the south is the sealed soil area of ​​the mausoleum, and in the north is the palace building area on the ground.The outer city is 2,173 meters long from north to south, 974 meters from east to west, and 6,294 meters in circumference.To the east of the cemetery are the burial tombs of the sons and princesses of the first emperor, and the burial pits where pottery figurines, pottery horses, and live horses were buried.The most notable of these is the pit of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses.

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit is one kilometer east of the cemetery. Excavated in 1974, a group of four pits are arranged in two rows from north to south.Pit No. 1 is in the south, with a length of 230 meters from east to west, a width of 62 meters, and an area of ​​14,260 square meters.Pit No. 2 is in the northeast of Pit No. 1, 124 meters from east to west, 98 meters wide, and covers an area of ​​about 6,000 square meters.Pit No. 3 is to the west of Pit No. 2, with an area of ​​520 square meters.Pit No. 4 is an empty pit that has not yet been built. In the part that has been excavated, more than 800 warrior figurines have been unearthed.There are 18 wooden chariots and more than 100 pottery horses.There are more than 9,000 bronze weapons and chariots and horses.If it is restored according to the arrangement of the terracotta warriors and horses, there may be 7,000 warrior warriors in these three pits, 100 four-horse chariots, and more than 100 war horses.The terracotta warriors and horses in the pit all face east.According to the current arrangement of the figurines, it can be speculated that this is a group of terracotta figurines simulating a funeral procession.

The terracotta figurines are tall, with the tallest being two meters and the shortest being 1.75 meters.Generally around 1.8 meters.There are also many types, including cavalry terracotta figures, chariot terracotta figures, and infantry terracotta figures.Among them, the infantry figurines can be divided into general figurines, military officials, armored infantry figurines and light infantry figurines according to their status.The chariot and horse figurines can be divided into warrior figurines and imperial hand figurines according to their positions.The pottery figurines have different shapes and lifelike expressions, showing the superb sculpture art of the Qin Dynasty in my country.

The cavalry figurines who came out of Pit No. 2 all wore small round caps with buckles on both sides tied under the chin.The coat and armor are short, the waist is tied, tight pants are worn underneath, and short boots are worn on the feet. The height is more than 1.8 meters. The huge military formation system of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses vividly shows the composition, arrangement and weapons and equipment of the Qin Army.It shows the military power of the Qin Dynasty, which is strong and strong, and powerful in the world. In 1980, the two bronze chariots and horses unearthed were 1/2 the size of real chariots and horses.It is completely simulated and made in kind, which is also an unprecedented archaeological discovery.

Car No. 1 is a standing car, that is to say, take the leading car immediately.It is 2.25 meters long and 1.52 meters high.Single shaft and double yoke, four horses are harnessed, that is, two horses and two clothes.The chariot is horizontally rectangular, with a round copper umbrella placed on the chariot, and a figurine of a horse official standing under the umbrella, holding a bridle [peipei] with both hands.Inside the Yu there are copper square pots, bows, crossbows, arrowheads, shields, etc.The four bronze horses are all decorated with gold and silver ties.There are 29 numbered characters on the saddle, with a total of 49 characters, all in Xiaozhuan script.

The second car is an car, that is, a sedan-shaped car for riding.It is 3.28 meters long and 1.04 meters high.The carriage is divided into two rooms, the front and the back. The front room is the driver's cab, and there is a terracotta figure of an imperial official sitting in a squatting position, with a sword at his waist and a bridle in front of him.The back room is the main seat.There is an oval cover on the compartment.The car also has a single shaft and two wheels.Drive four bronze horses. In 1994, Pit No. 2 of Terracotta Warriors was officially excavated.It has been preliminarily proven that Pit No. 2 covers an area of ​​about 6,000 square meters, and its plane is curved. It is an underground tunnel-style building with civil structure.

The terracotta warriors and horses in Pit No. 2 can be roughly divided into four relatively independent units.That is, a square formation composed of kneeling and vertical crossbow warriors; a square formation composed of four-horse chariots; a long square formation composed of chariot, infantry, and cavalry figurines; a long square formation composed of many cavalry figurines.The four parts are interconnected to form a curved array organically.Its large formations set small formations, large camps include small camps, which can be divided or combined. The formation of military formations is scientific and rigorous, with unique characteristics.

According to preliminary estimates, there are about 1,300 pottery figurines and pottery horses in Pit No. 2, more than 80 chariots and numerous bronze weapons.Among them, the pommel horse riding terracotta figurines, kneeling shooting terracotta figurines, etc., are their unique characteristics. The excavation of the No. 2 Terracotta Warriors Pit will add new splendor to the Terracotta Warriors Pit, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".