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Pit 1 of the Terracotta Army, Xi'an
Pit 1 of the Terracotta Army, Xi'an. Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient worlds · Qin dynasty China · late 3rd century BCE

The Terracotta Army

Established246 BCE – 206 BCELintong District, Xi'an, China

Thousands of life-size soldiers buried to guard China's first emperor.

Research draft · editor review pending. Every claim below is linked to a checked source, but this dossier has not yet been reviewed by a human editor. Spot an error? Corrections are logged.

In 1974, farmers digging a well near Xi'an broke into a pit filled with life-size clay soldiers. It was part of the vast burial complex of Qin Shi Huang, who unified China in 221 BCE. Three main pits hold infantry, archers, cavalry, chariots and a command post; a fourth pit is empty, perhaps left unfinished.

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How to read the labels

EstablishedSupported by strong, converging evidence.
ContestedEvidence exists but qualified scholars disagree.
UnresolvedThe question is open; evidence does not settle it.
LegendComes from myth, literature or tradition, not physical evidence.
SpeculativeA hypothesis with little direct evidence so far.

Hero image: Pit 1 of the Terracotta Army, Xi'an. Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons. Evidence labels describe the written claims, not the image. Version 1 · updated 2026-10-22.