The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is a vast funerary landscape near modern Xi’an. The Terracotta Army forms only one part of the complex built for the ruler who became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 BCE.
Army pits and imperial order
Thousands of life-size clay soldiers, horses, and chariots stand in large pits east of the burial mound. Their ranks, weapons, armor, and formations present an ideal imperial army. Workshop marks and repeated components reveal organized production on a state scale.
Although the figures show varied faces and details, it is not established that each one portrays a named individual. They were originally painted in strong colors, much of which deteriorated rapidly after exposure during excavation.
The central burial mound
The main chamber has not been opened. Sima Qian’s historical account, written about a century after the emperor’s death, describes a model of the empire with rivers of mercury, celestial signs, defenses, and rich furnishings. Elevated mercury detected in soil is suggestive, but it does not verify every literary detail.
Archaeologists have avoided a full excavation until conservation methods can protect what may survive inside. The tomb should therefore be described as known but unopened, not lost or newly discovered with the army in 1974.