Terracotta Army: The greatest archaeological find of the 20th century - BBC News

Summary

The script describes the excavation of a vast Terracotta Army, a life-sized collection of soldiers buried with a Chinese ruler over 2,000 years ago. The figures, with distinct facial features and hairstyles, indicate different ranks. Discovered by farmers, the tomb's artifacts were initially substitutes for human sacrifice in ancient China. Remarkably, the Terracotta Warriors were found with well-preserved, vibrant colors, including a unique purple from a chemical reaction, showcasing ancient Chinese technology. The archaeologist reflects on the significance of this discovery, feeling both lucky and responsible for this unique piece of Chinese and world history.

Takeaways

• 🗿 The script discusses the discovery of a vast army of terracotta warriors, which have been buried for over 2,000 years.
• 👷 The narrator has worked at the archaeological site for many years, indicating a deep connection and knowledge of the site.
• 🤖 The terracotta warriors are life-sized and have distinct facial features and hairstyles, which are referred to as 'ha gears'.
• 🔍 The terracotta army was accidentally found by farmers digging a well, leading to the discovery of pieces and the heads of the terracotta warriors.
• 🏺 Historical context is provided, explaining that in ancient China, elites were buried with their servants, a practice later criticized and replaced with terracotta figures.
• 🎨 The script highlights the surprising preservation of colors on the terracotta warriors, with bright red, pink, blue, and green hues remaining vibrant.
• 🔬 The colors used on the terracotta warriors are natural, derived from minerals or plants, with the exception of purple, which is a result of a chemical reaction.
• 🧪 The use of chemical reactions to create purple pigment is noted as a revolutionary technology from 2,000 years ago, unique to China.
• 🏛 The discovery in pit 3 is described as a fascinating part of the narrator's archaeological career, emphasizing the importance of the find.
• 🙏 The narrator expresses a sense of luck and responsibility, acknowledging the uniqueness of the site both in China and the world.
• 🚶‍♂️ Even after years, the narrator still feels impressed when walking through the site, indicating the ongoing impact and significance of the discovery.

Q & A

What is the significance of the vast Pottery Army being unearthed?

The vast Pottery Army is significant because it provides a unique insight into ancient Chinese funerary practices and the craftsmanship of the time, having been buried for over 2,000 years.

How were the life-sized pottery soldiers discovered?

The pottery soldiers were discovered accidentally by a group of farmers who were digging a well and found pieces of pottery and the head of a Terracotta Warrior.

What is special about the pottery soldiers' facial features and hairstyles?

The pottery soldiers have different facial features and hairstyles, which were used to distinguish their ranks and individual identities, reflecting the diversity of the real soldiers they represent.

Why were the Terracotta Army figures created?

The Terracotta Army figures were created as a substitute for human sacrifice, which was a practice that began to be criticized in ancient China around 3,000 years ago.

What was the surprising discovery made in pit 3 of the excavation site?

In pit 3, archaeologists were surprised to find the pottery figures very well preserved with bright colors, which was unexpected due to the age of the artifacts.

What colors were found on the Terracotta Warriors and what were their sources?

The colors found on the Terracotta Warriors included bright red, pink, blue, and green, which were derived from natural minerals or plants, except for the purple, which was a result of a chemical reaction.

What does the speaker find revolutionary about the purple color found on the pottery figures?

The speaker finds the purple color revolutionary because it was created through a chemical reaction, a technology that was quite advanced for the time, 2,000 years ago in China.

What emotions does the speaker express about their archaeological career involving the Terracotta Army?

The speaker expresses feelings of luck and responsibility, indicating the significance and uniqueness of their work, both in China and the world.

How does the speaker describe their experience of walking in the excavation site even now?

The speaker describes their experience as still being very impressed, suggesting the ongoing impact and fascination of the Terracotta Army discovery.

What does the script suggest about the speaker's view on the importance of the Terracotta Army to Chinese and world history?

The script suggests that the speaker views the Terracotta Army as not only important to Chinese history but also to world history, given its unique cultural and technological insights.

What was the initial practice in ancient China regarding the burial of elites, and how did it change?

Initially, when elites in ancient China died, they were buried with their servants, indicating a practice of human sacrifice. This practice was later criticized and changed to using pottery figures as substitutes.

Outlines

00:00

🏺 Unearthing the Terracotta Army

This paragraph introduces the discovery and significance of the Terracotta Army, a collection of life-sized pottery figures buried with a Chinese ruler over 2,000 years ago. The figures are detailed, with distinct facial features and hairstyles that indicate their ranks. The script mentions the accidental discovery by farmers digging a well, revealing pieces of pottery and the head of a warrior. An archaeological team then began excavations in the area. The practice of burying servants with the deceased to accompany them in the afterlife is discussed, along with the transition to using terracotta figures as substitutes for human sacrifice. The discovery of well-preserved colors on the figures in Pit 3 is highlighted, with the mention of natural and chemically derived pigments, including a unique purple from a chemical reaction found only in China, showcasing ancient technological advancements.

Keywords

💡Pottery Army

The 'Pottery Army' refers to the Terracotta Army, a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a significant archaeological find that provides insight into the military, cultural, and artistic practices of ancient China. In the video, the Pottery Army is described as being unearthed from a tomb where it has lain for over 2,000 years, illustrating the theme of uncovering ancient history.

💡Life-sized

The term 'life-sized' indicates that the sculptures are of the same size as real human beings. This detail is crucial in the video as it highlights the realism and attention to detail of the ancient craftsmen, who created the terracotta soldiers to resemble actual soldiers in size and appearance.

💡Facial Features

Facial features are the distinct characteristics of a person's face, such as the shape of the eyes, nose, and mouth. In the context of the video, the mention of different facial features among the terracotta soldiers emphasizes the individuality and uniqueness of each figure, showcasing the craftsmanship and the attempt to create a lifelike representation of the army.

💡Hairstyle

A 'hairstyle' is the way in which hair is worn or arranged on the head. In the video, the hairstyle, referred to as 'ha gears', is used to distinguish the soldiers' ranks within the army, providing a visual cue to the viewer about the hierarchy and organization of the ancient military forces.

💡Terra Cotta Warriors

The 'Terra Cotta Warriors' is another term for the Terracotta Army, emphasizing the martial aspect of the sculptures. The video script mentions the discovery of the warriors' heads, which led to the archaeological excavation and subsequent uncovering of the entire army.

💡Afterlife Beliefs

The concept of 'afterlife beliefs' pertains to the cultural and religious views about what happens to a person's spirit or consciousness after death. In ancient China, it was believed that the elites, such as kings and nobles, would need their servants in the afterlife, leading to the practice of human sacrifice. The video discusses how the Terracotta Army may have been created as a substitute for human sacrifices.

💡Human Sacrifice

Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more people, usually as an offering to a deity or in the belief that it will bring some benefit in this life, the afterlife, or the health of the community. The video explains that as human sacrifice became criticized, the Terracotta Army was likely created as an alternative to accompany the deceased in the afterlife.

💡Pit 3

In the context of the video, 'Pit 3' refers to one of the excavation sites where the Terracotta Army was discovered. The script mentions a surprising find in Pit 3, where the terracotta figures were well preserved with their original colors, which is a significant aspect of the archaeological discovery.

💡Bright Colors

The 'bright colors' mentioned in the video refer to the vivid pigments that the terracotta figures were originally painted with. The discovery of these colors is important as it challenges the common perception that the figures were monochromatic and provides a more accurate representation of their original appearance.

💡Natural Pigments

Natural pigments are coloring substances derived from natural sources, such as minerals or plants. The video script explains that the colors found on the Terracotta Army, except for purple, were made from natural pigments, indicating the ancient Chinese knowledge of utilizing natural resources for artistic purposes.

💡Chemical Reaction

A 'chemical reaction' is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. In the video, the purple color found on the terracotta figures is described as a result of a chemical reaction, which is unique to China and represents an advanced technological achievement for the time.

💡Archaeological Career

An 'archaeological career' involves the study of human history through the excavation and analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. The video script reflects on the speaker's personal experience and feelings about their work in archaeology, particularly with the discovery of the Terracotta Army, which is a significant and fascinating part of their career.

Highlights

A vast pottery army is being unearthed from a tomb where it has lain for over 2,000 years.

The pottery warriors are life-sized and resemble real soldiers.

Different facial features and hairstyles indicate the warriors' ranks.

The Terracotta Army was discovered accidentally by farmers digging a well.

An archaeological team was dispatched to the site following the initial discovery.

In ancient China, elites were buried with servants to serve them in the afterlife.

Human sacrifice was criticized, leading to the use of terracotta figures as substitutes.

The discovery in Pit 3 revealed well-preserved colors on the terracotta figures.

Bright colors such as red, pink, blue, and green were found on the figures.

The pigments used were natural, derived from minerals or plants.

The purple color was artificially created through a chemical reaction.

The use of chemical reactions for pigments was a revolutionary technology in ancient China.

The archaeological career of the speaker has been significantly impacted by this discovery.

The speaker feels a sense of responsibility and uniqueness in their work.

The Terracotta Army is unique both in China and the world.

The site continues to impress the speaker even after many years of working there.

Transcripts

[Music]

it's a vast Pottery Army which is slowly

being Unearthed from the tomb where it's

Lain for more than 2,000 years at one

time when a Chinese

ruler

I work in this site for many years uh

for um decades yeah so these wores are

all lifesized like real soldiers also

they have different facial

features you can tell from their

hairstyle they they we call ha gears and

they can tell their different

[Music]

ranks

[Music]

the tar worries was find

accidentally one day a group of farmers

ding well here and they find some pieces

of the

poter they also find the head of the T

Warriors and they the team artical team

came to this area and they start to uh

dig originally in um ancient China like

3,000 years ago they believe the

afterlife when the elites died like king

or um Noble uh people they died and they

normally buried their uh servants with

them so they human sacrif

and uh people start

criticize the human sacrifice so they um

think probably use the target figures as

a

[Music]

substitute when we discovered in pit 3

very surprisingly we find well preserved

colors when we lift one target wor

Target body

so the very bright colors stay kind of

soil very bright bright uh red and pink

blue

green the other colors all natural like

natural uh um probably mineral or uh

come from some plants but the purple is

chemical from from chemical reaction so

that kind of

artificial so this kind of you know

chemical reaction so only find in China

that's really

revolutionary you know that kind of

technology in 2,000 years ago in chin

time that was really fascinating part of

my archaological

[Music]

career

I feel I'm

lucky also I feel I have a

responsibility that's um unique in China

and also unique in the

world even now I walk in I still feel uh

very

[Music]

impressed