Monday, October 12, 2009

The Terracotta Soldiers - Xi'An

The Terracotta Soldiers were one of the reasons that we took a trip to China ... and they did NOT disappoint!! The Terracotta Soldiers were found by farmer's in China digging a well...
This statue was of bronze horses before we got to the pits:
Pit 1 is behind us:
This is one of the original farmers that found the Terracotta Soldiers ... once the people moved we saw a "no photos" sign. Whoops.
Looking into Pit 1 for the first time:
They are all individualized ... with their own facial expressions ... it is amazing:


The soldiers yet to be excavated:







They are putting the horses and the soldiers back together:
Putting back together the soldiers:
Up close, you can really tell the facial expressions on each of the individual soldiers:
a better view of them:
He was not so happy to be a part of the army:
This guy was getting his body put back together:

Me in front of the close-ups in Pit 1:
He was a serious soldier in Pit 1:
Still excavating in Pit 1:
It was like they were still a part of the earth:
more excavations in Pit 1:
Michael next to the re-constructed horses in Pit 1:
Pit 3 - more ceremonial:
in the way the soldiers were arranged, you could tell it was more just for ceremonial purposes, rather than battle purposes:
The officer leading the horses:
Michael in front of Pit 3:
A different view of the officer leading the horses:
You can see the ashes from where the pits were burned once discovered (pit 2) ...

Can you see the color on this soldier ... very rare!!!
Michael next to the officer...
Me next to the General ... that's how I roll ....
One of the in-tact horses pulled from the pits:
An archer from pit 2 - in tact ...
Pit 2:
The following were pictures of pictures - amazing though ... Pics of painted soldiers pulled from the pits. The government didn't know how to preserve them though ... so they covered them back up with the soil:
Me and Michael in Pit 2:
Me in the museum with the gigantic Terracotta Soldier:
These bronze statues were found in the pits:
as was this bronzed statue: