In this activity, students will explore painted pigments preserved on figures from the Terracotta Army, made for China's First Emperor, Qin Shihuang (259 – 210 BCE), in order to understand the artistic and cultural practices of a newly unified China during the Qin dynasty (221 – 206 BCE).  Through this focus, students will also explore preservation issues, historical documents that reveal experiences of Qin dynasty soldiers, and the values of Emperor Qin Shihuang. Ideas for activity extensions, including the creation of students' own papercraft terracotta warriors and connections to painted statues from Ancient Greece, are included in "Notes to Other Users."

The Terracotta Army, a group of approximately 7,000 life-size terracotta warriors and horses, was created for Emperor Qin Shihuang to form a small part of his elaborate tomb complex. Objects found here make up the majority of surviving objects from this significant period in Chinese history. They are some of the best archaeological evidence researchers have for understanding the spiritual beliefs, military practices, and values of the ruler responsible for unifying China for the first time in its history. 

Authors of this collection are the Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, and the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Keywords: archaeology, archaeologist, ancient history, artifact, afterlife, funerary practices, burial, death, spiritual beliefs, military, soldier, sculpture, chinese, world, asia, asian, xi'an, empire, terra cotta, qin shi huang, shihuangdi, shi huang di, earthenware, ceramics, pottery, terracotta army