Year 9 Trip - Terracotta Army "Guerreros de Xi'an"

We are just back from our trip in central Madrid and the fantastic exhibition at the Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa where they have been showing us the history behind one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time: the Terracotta Army.

Discovered in Xian, this army consists of a set of over 7,000 lifesize terracotta figures of warriors and horses which were buried with the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, in 210-209 B. C. An army that was created to serve him in the afterlife.

Since they were discovered in 1974, these statues have continued to surprise people around the globe due to their sheer size and excellent condition. In the year 1987 UNESCO declared them World Cultural Heritage, and in 2010 the official excavation team, led by the archaeologist Xu Weihong, received the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences.

This exhibition gave us the chance to learn all about the archaeological process and life in imperial China of the period. Like all the other figures that were unearthed, each of the warriors on display is unique: there are young soldiers and old, with varying hairstyles and facial hair, the features of different ethnic groups and clothing and weapons depending on their status and role.

I think it was a good opportunity to learn a little bit more about this country and specially this term as we are studying China in Geography (Year 9).

Here you have some pictures to remember our visit.