Archaeological Excavation

Report on Shi Huangdis Tomb

on Shi Huangdis Tomb
On March 29th, 1974, a group of peasants who were digging
wells discovered some old pottery, 1.5 kilometres east of
Lintong, Xian, Shaanxi Province. Archaeologists were
immediately sent to the area to investigate and so began
the great discovery and excavation of Qin Shi
Huangditomb.

Shi Huangdis tomb is a complex structure, estimated of being around a

total of 18500 square metres. The entire tomb is divided into 4 sections, Pit
1, Pit 2, Pit 3 and the Mausoleum. The excavation of Pit 1 was performed by
a team of archaeologists and conservation experts, sent by the State
Administration of Cultural Heritage and instructed to perform a full-scale
excavation on the site. Pit 1 is a rectangular pit, located in an east-west
direction and measuring 230.43m long, 62.179m wide and 4.8768m deep,
covering a total area of approximately 142,600 square metres. The site was
excavated from the top level to the bottom level and shovels and pickaxes
were originally used to excavate the site. Lorries carried away the soil and
many powerful and large tools were used, making the process quite rapid.
However, as the excavation developed and went deeper, smaller tools
began to replace the larger tools and instead of lorries, all the soil was to
be cleared by hand. This was done in order to protect the fine details of the
objects and findings in Pit 1. Problems were also encountered during the
excavation. Conservation experts found that as soon as the terracotta
figures and other findings inside Pit 1 were revealed out into the open air,
the quality of the figures immediately started to degrade rapidly. To solve
this problem, a large arched hall with a steel frame was built above the pit.
This hall provided the pit with good ventilation and daylight conditions with
its humidity monitoring systems and also burglar-proof and fireproof
additions. Discoveries found in Pit 1 included over 6000 terracotta warriors
and horses, all strategically arranged in a practical battle formation. There
were also three rows of 68 vanguards at the eastern end, totalling 204
soldiers who were all equipped with bows and crossbows, the main body of
the army, including 30 chariots, each drawn by four horses, armoured and
unarmoured soldiers holding spears, halberds, etc., a row of soldiers with
crossbows at the southern end and flanks to guard the sides and rear of the
army at the northern and western ends. A variety of weaponry was also
found in Pit 1. This included bronze swords, spears, crossbows, arrows and

Map
Map
of the
of pit
3 Pits
1, pit
&2
Mausoleum
& pit 3

Pit 1
3

sloping entrances. Discoveries found in Pit 2 included four sections of

specialized military forces which looked to be like the command centre of
the armed forces. In section one, which has the shape of a square and lies
on the eastern corner of the pit, there are four corridors of 60 archers in a
standing posture. At the centre of the square, four passageways are filled
with 160 aligned archers in squatting positions. Section two is 52m from
east to west and 47m from north to south. It contains 64 war chariots made
up in a combat formation and divided into eight rows. The chariots are each
pulled by four life-sized terracotta horses and in each chariot, one is
driving, another is standing on one side and the other is on the other side
of the chariot. In section three, which lies at the centre of the pit,
archaeologists found a rectangular combat formation made up of 264
soldiers, 19 war chariots and 8 cavalrymen. Each cavalryman stands in
front of a horse with one hand drawing a bow and the other holding the
rein. Also, there are between 8 to 36 foot-soldiers standing in each chariot.
Section four is located in the left of Pit 2 and three east-west passageways
of aligned cavalrymen were found. This section is 50m from east to west
and 23m from north to south. Finally, another finding that was made in Pit 2
was bronze swords 86cm long and carved with symmetrical designs.
The excavation of Pit 3 was again performed a team of specially-trained
archaeologists and conservation experts. Pit 3 is a U-shaped pit, 24.7m
northwest of Pit 1 and the smallest of the three pits. Its dimensions are
17.556m long from east to west, 21.397m wide from north to south and
4.7854m deep, totalling an area of approximately 520 square metres. This
site was excavated layer by layer, from the large and easily recognisable
figures first, to deeper and deeper into the soil, where smaller and more
delicate objects lie. Tools including shovels and picks were used at the
surface of Pit 3 but after a change in plans, due to a problem that was
faced in protecting the fine details of the artefacts, archaeologists began to
use much more precise tools, such as small brushes, prods and scalpels.
Examination of the findings inside Pit 3 revealed that it was the command
centre of the entire army. Reasons that prove this are that its position of
being in the far northwest corner ensure it to be protected by the armies in
Pit 1 and Pit 2, various objects found in the pit represent a higher rank and
its differences from Pit 1 and Pit2 in terms of structure and the findings
inside it separates itself as more than just the usual. Also, findings in Pit 3
include a sloping passageway in the east, where a single war chariot and a
horse room lie. This room has two corridors on either side and to the west
of the left corridor, a wing room is located; to the west of the right corridor,
an antehall and backroom is located and lastly, standing orderly along all
two sides of the passageways, the 68 terracotta warriors stand. Spread
randomly throughout the pit, various types of bronze weaponry, including
spears, swords, crossbows and arrowheads are present and gold, stone and