Surprise · Royal Tombs
An Army for an Emperor
The Terracotta Army
The question
Why were thousands of terracotta warriors created near present-day Xi'an?
- To train soldiers
- As part of the first Qin emperor's burial complex(correct answer)
- To mark trade routes
The answer: As part of the first Qin emperor's burial complex
Qin Shi Huang, who unified China in 221 BCE and became its first emperor, ordered a vast burial complex near present-day Xi'an. Thousands of life-size clay soldiers, along with horses and chariots, were buried in pits near his tomb — each with an individually detailed face.
- Civilization
- Qin dynasty, China
- Region
- East Asia
- Period
- Late 3rd century BCE
- Location
- Near Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Featured in
- Daily Discovery #002 · 3 November 2026
Image: Joe Hart, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (image source, opens in a new tab)
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