Where is the main tomb of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses?
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is a heritage museum. The discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses was purely accidental. It was originally the land taken from a brick and tile factory. With the roar of a bulldozer, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses that had been sleeping underground for more than 2,000 years were revealed. When you walk into the hall, what you see are the Han terracotta warriors and horses, which are known as the three wonders of the Han Dynasty in Xuzhou along with Han tombs and Han sculptures. Maybe it doesn’t give you the impression of being as tall and majestic as the Qin Terracotta Warriors, but when we understand the rich historical connotations contained in it and understand its unique and unique artistic features, we will understand that it is indeed It is worthy of the title of one of the "Three Wonders of the Han Dynasty".
If you can look down at this plane from the air, you will see that the pits of terracotta warriors that are so close and distant are like an underground military formation with a compact and reasonable layout. When you look carefully at the pottery figurines in the pit, you can see that they are indeed the images of soldiers from that time. The kneeling and sitting figurines are ancient chariot warriors. They are divided into two types: the thinner ones are chariot warriors, responsible for driving chariots. The warriors on the chariot wearing armor and carrying quivers behind them are archer figurines. Moving forward were the infantry units. At the highest point, there are four fat and strong war horses. Behind the horses stands a tall pottery figurine who is the commander of this army. Ancient figure sculptures or paintings all express themselves in this way. If you pay close attention, you will find an empty space around the commander. According to archaeologists, during the excavation, there were traces of a pile of decayed wood and red stiff ropes painted on the four horses, indicating that there was originally a command vehicle here. The four horses pulled the vehicle, and of course the commander stood on the vehicle. The one on the top shows the posture of ancient nobles standing with Shi on important occasions. In this way, four horses, one chariot, and one figurine constitute a command center, which further proves the integrity of this underground army. So how could there be such an army in the wilderness, 8 meters underground from the original surface?
Research has proven that these terracotta warriors and horses were originally the third army of the Chu Kingdom of the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,150 years ago. A burial object of Liu Wu, King of Chu Dynasty. Just as everyone knows that the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses were buried with Qin Shihuang's mausoleum in Lishan Mountain, the society of the Han Dynasty was a society that regarded death as life. People believe that after death, people just move on to another place. Therefore, all material and spiritual benefits that can be enjoyed during life must be brought to another world by every means after death. Therefore, in the tombs of King Chu in Xuzhou, there are all kinds of granaries, kitchens, music and dance halls, reception rooms, etc. Even the toilets are meticulously made and fully equipped. Under such a background, some princes, kings or high-ranking generals with heavy troops can naturally hope to continue to command thousands of troops and horses after their death, so the terracotta warriors and horses came into being.
According to the burial system of the Han Dynasty, only those who have made special merits can be buried with terracotta warriors and horses, and they must also obtain the emperor's permission. Therefore, there are currently only three large-scale terracotta warriors discovered in China: the Qin Terracotta Warriors and the Han Terracotta Warriors at Yangjiawan in Xianyang, and the Han Terracotta Warriors and Horses at Lion Rock in Xuzhou. The emergence of such a large-scale group of terracotta warriors and horses in Xuzhou fully illustrates the special political and military status of Xuzhou in the Han Dynasty. Our Xuzhou is a famous cultural city with a long history. The culture of the Han Dynasty was particularly developed because it is the hometown of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. Just after Liu Bang's political power was stabilized, he appointed his younger brother Liu Jiao as the King of Chu to manage this area. In the early Han Dynasty, Liu Bang had the highest status among the kings with the same surname. In addition, most of the civil servants and generals under Emperor Gaozu were from Xuzhou. With this special background, As a result, Xuzhou became the political and cultural center second only to the capital Chang'an in the Han Dynasty. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Han Dynasty are a strong evidence of the developed Han culture in Xuzhou. It tells guests and friends from all over the world with its irreplaceable historical connotation that "the two Han cultures look at Xuzhou" was not shouted by Xuzhou people themselves. The dotted Han tombs, the ingenious Chinese stone statues, and the Han terracotta warriors and horses with unique artistic charm and cultural connotation are like dazzling pearls, shining on the ancient Peng land, reflecting the brilliance created by the people of Pengcheng in the Han Dynasty material civilization. The Xuzhou Han terracotta warriors and horses, because the owner was only a vassal king subordinate to the central dynasty, it was impossible to make large-scale and lifelike pottery warriors like the Qin warriors. However, the momentum of making small figurines using the kneading method is too small. Therefore, the clever Chu craftsmen learned from the ancient bronze production technology and adopted the mold-making method.
We use the simplest warriors in the pit as an example to illustrate this method: in the first step, a specimen of the warriors is molded according to the scale requirements, and then fired in the kiln to form a sample; in the second step, the sample is Apply a thick layer of clay around it, dry it in the shade, and cut it in half from the head along the ears downward. The image of the warrior warriors will remain on the clay, which is actually a set of molds; the third step , fill the fired mold with clay, and "two-in-one" will produce a warrior figurine. Repeat this to produce a large number of warriors with the same appearance; the fourth step is to remove the clay. The warrior figurines that came out were baked in the kiln. This process is very simple to say, but it is quite complicated to implement in practice. Some pottery figurines move their hands forward or upward. The heads of some figurines are made separately and cannot be molded together with the torso. So craftsmen broke down a pottery figurine into several parts, made them from molds, and then glued them together. Experts have calculated that making a different set of terracotta warriors and horses requires 9 sets of 73 different molds. What a tedious project this is!
When we walk to the front of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses team and observe the team carefully, we will find that their expressions are varied and different. Some of them held their heads high, opened their mouths, and leaned up, as if they couldn't help but howl on the ground. One of the two people beside him looked over, and the other turned his face sideways as if to comfort and persuade the crying person. Some have their heads lowered, their brows furrowed, and the corners of their mouths turned down, as if they are introverted and silently melancholy. This is consistent with the overall solemn and quiet military theme. Of course, there are also images of relaxed, lively and playful young soldiers among them. Perhaps he is a true portrayal of the soul of a certain master sculptor! In short, the character traits of these people are described in detail and lifelike through Liao Liao's few strokes. After these pottery figurines are molded, there is a manual trimming process by craftsmen, in which the subjective initiative and artistic creativity of the craftsmen are greatly brought into play. Some ordinary mud, under their dexterous hands, has been endowed with infinite vitality. What we see here seems not to be pottery figurines, but a living team coming towards you, which fully reflects the Han Dynasty. The superb and outstanding craftsmanship of working people. If you have been to Xi'an and visited the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, you must have experienced the tall and spectacular scene of the Qin Terracotta Warriors. Indeed, the realistic Qin Terracotta Warriors give people a bold and vigorous beauty of power, but the development of any art has a process from concrete to abstract. The Han Terracotta Warriors developed on the basis of inheriting the style of the Qin Terracotta Warriors, transforming from realism to Freehand. It does not focus on the accuracy of the proportions of the character's lines, but focuses on the character's inner world and spiritual outlook. There are three soldiers at the front of a team. The craftsman used different body shapes and facial shapes to express different age levels and psychological activities. The soldier on the far right has a strong back and a strong back, still looking childish. They are young soldiers who are just starting out and eager to make achievements. The one in the middle is bowed and squinting, looking like an experienced and battle-hardened veteran. On the left is the image of a mature and steady middle-aged soldier. Historical records record that the military service system of the Han Dynasty stipulated that adult men aged 18-55 must serve in the military for two years. In this way, there must be soldiers of different ages in the team, which can be said to be an organic combination of old, middle and young. The sculptors of the Han Dynasty made these pottery figurines based on life, not only leaving a lot of valuable information for future generations, but also leaving people with their simple and subtle, more thought-provoking artistic techniques in the history of Chinese sculpture art. A timeless and beautiful chapter.
The Xuzhou Han Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is a heritage museum in China. It is located at the western foot of Lion Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The museum was built on the basis of the excavation of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses pit in May 1985. It was completed in September and opened on October 1.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses pits include three infantry warrior pits running from east to west, 5 meters apart, and each 28 meters long. The pit is 2.2 meters wide at the mouth, 1.1 to 1.4 meters wide at the bottom, and 0.4 to 1.1 meters deep. There is a north-south guard figurine pit, about 5.5 meters east of the three infantry figurine pits. The pit is 26 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 0.15 to 0.40 meters deep. meters; there are two cavalry and chariot pits, located 125 meters northwest of the three east-west figurine pits. One of them was damaged in 1981, and the other is 12.5 meters long from east to west, 3.5 meters wide, and 0.4 to 0.6 meters deep. The figurine pit is more than 24 meters away from the current site.
Two pits of infantry figurines and guard pits have been excavated so far. The east ends of the two pits have been damaged to varying degrees. There are 2,393 pottery figurines in existence, including 1,016 in Pit No. 1 and 1,016 in Pit No. 2. 1377 items. The figurines are all made of clay and are blue-grey. There are 4 horses, 1 official figurine, and the rest are armor figurines, kneeling and sitting figurines, armor figurines, braided figurines, bun figurines, bow and crossbow hand figurines, and long weapon figurines. . The body of the figurine is painted with powder and some parts are painted with vermilion. Based on the analysis of its shape, texture, clothing and other characteristics, it was dated to the 1st century BC, around the time of Jing and Wu in the Western Han Dynasty.
Introduction to the Chu King Cemetery in Lion Rock
In December 1984, more than 4,000 items buried underground for more than 2,000 years were discovered at the western foot of Lion Rock in the eastern suburbs of Xuzhou. The painted terracotta warriors and horses of the Western Han Dynasty. This force, which symbolizes the defense of the Chu King's tomb, is distributed in six figurine pits and consists of infantry, chariots and cavalry. Among the infantry, there are tall and capable officials as well as ordinary warriors in military uniforms, such as figurines with long weapons, crossbowmen, and hairpins; among the chariots, there are invulnerable armored figurines and chariot-driving chariots; and the cavalry figurines are strong and brave. , ready to go.
After discovering the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, archaeologists embarked on a long journey to find the main tomb. After several hardships, archaeologists found the Chu King’s Tomb in Lion Rock in July 1991. The Chu King's Tomb was officially excavated in 1994, completed and opened to the public in 1995. The mausoleum is large in scale and magnificent. It is hidden in the main peak of Lion Mountain at an altitude of 54.3 meters. It has a total length of 117 meters from north to south, more than 5,100 cubic meters of stone cut, and an area of more than 850 square meters. The mausoleum is a tomb structure that combines horizontal and vertical caves. It has a unique structure. The tomb passage patio of more than 240 square meters is unique and unprecedented.
In May 2004, the Nanjing University Archaeological Team and the Chu Tombs Management Office used remote sensing technology to detect the area near Lion Rock. Feedback data showed that there was indeed a large cave on the north side of the Chu Tombs in Lion Rock. , it is initially inferred that it is a tomb of a nobleman.
On September 16, 2004, the mysterious figure of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses was discovered again 50 meters northeast of the Chu King’s Tomb in Lion Mountain, Xuzhou. There are two large sacrificial pits, 3.4 meters long and 2.2 meters wide, carved out of stone. There are large urns and tiles about 70 centimeters in diameter in Sacrificial Pit No. 1. Pit No. 2 is much shallower than Pit No. 1. There are more than 140 colorful pottery figurines regularly arranged in the southeast corner of the pit. On October 20, archaeologists discovered Sacrificial Pit No. 3 a few meters away from Pit No. 1. The successive discoveries of terracotta warriors and horses, tombs of Chu kings, noble tombs, and sacrificial pits have led archaeologists to conclude that the Lion Rock area is a large cemetery with the Chu king's mausoleum as the core and surrounded by terracotta warriors and horse burial military formations, noble tombs, and sacrificial pits. .