Terracotta Warriors | Qin Dynasty, 221-207 BC
Around the same time as the Macedonian/Greek Empire led by Alexander the Great was disintegrating in parts of the Near East, the Qin Dynasty was reaching its peak in far-eastern Asia. Although their reign was short—around 15 years—they are considered to be the first dynasty of Imperial China, a period of Chinese history that stretches from 221 BC to 1912 AD and was succeeded by the Republic of China.
The famous terracotta warriors of Xian, China | Right: Lukas Hlavac @ Shutterstock.com
To assist in his ascension to the afterlife, the Terracotta Warriors were built by the self-proclaimed first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi towards the end of his rule in 207 BC. The tirelessly crafted collection is made up of thousands of lifesize figurines made from terracotta each differing slightly in their appearance. The army of soldiers, chariots and horses was not found until 1974 and is considered one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.
Excuse me! Are you on Pinterest?! Here are a couple of pins!
Gallery
This post is part of an expanded series taken from 37 Wonders of the World in Chronological Order. You can click the link to read more, watch the video or navigate between individual posts beneath the gallery. Enjoy!
Aaron Greenwood on Unsplash & Aaron Greenwood on Unsplash
Left: Aaron Greenwood on Unsplash & Right: Manish Tulaskar on Unsplash