8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists Uncovered a Terracotta Commander and Warriors at the Mausoleum of China’s First Emperor

Archaeologists have unearthed a rare 2,000-year-old statue depicting a high-ranking military commander at the famous Terracotta Army site in China: The statue is the first commander statue found since 1994.

This discovery is rare among the thousands of life-size warriors created because it is to the mere 10 commanders among the thousands of soldiers present there.

The statue, found buried in silt, adds to the growing collection of life-size clay warriors that have fascinated historians and visitors from around the world.

The enormous tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first Chinese emperor who reigned from 221 to 207 B.C., was hardly documented in history. Experts have since uncovered a complex army of thousands of terracotta warrior statues, horses, chariots, and weapons surrounding the emperor’s unopened tomb. The site was discovered by locals entirely by accident in 1974 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. Experts believe the army was buried to protect Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, in the afterlife.

Researchers say that thousands of additional warriors could exist, each uniquely designed, individually sculpted, and originally painted in bright colors.

Terracotta Army coloured statuettes. Credit: CC BY 2.0

The latest find was located in No. 2 Pit. “Based on its location, we believe this figure was likely the highest-ranking military commander of this unit,” Zhu Sihong, head of the excavation project, told state broadcaster CCTV, according to the South China Morning Post.

Despite being buried for centuries, the statue retained traces of its original color. Sihong said that the silt helped preserve the statue’s paint by maintaining stable humidity and temperature levels underground.

The rare commander was not alone; he was discovered alongside two high-ranking officers and five armored warriors, as well as additional chariot and horse remnants. The intricate headdress, ornate armor with patterns and ribbon knots, and clasped hands in front of the body all contribute to the figure’s rank.

To date, a total of 7,000 soldiers, horses, chariots, and weapons have been discovered at the site (roughly 2,000 of those are life-size warriors). Many of the finds have been restored, and experts believe that thousands more life-size figures could still be buried.

Cover Image credit: CC BY 2.0

Related Articles

7,000-year-old Ritual Complex Found In Jordan Desert

23 February 2022

23 February 2022

The team of French and Jordanian archaeologists has discovered a 7,000-year-old ritualistic complex near what is thought to be the...

Manot Cave yielded evidence for ritualistic gathering 35,000 years ago, the earliest on the Asian continent

13 January 2025

13 January 2025

Archaeological research at the Manot Cave in what is now the Galilee in northern Israel has uncovered evidence of ritualistic...

During roadwork in Oregon, a woolly mammoth tusk was discovered

21 June 2021

21 June 2021

A 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth tusk was discovered beneath the street by crews rerouting a gas line in Corvallis, Oregon. “Whenever...

Oldest Recorded Gynecological Treatment

7 February 2021

7 February 2021

In their latest research, scientists have come across a treatment practice in a mummy from 4000 years ago, as written...

Deadly Omens Revealed from 4,000-year-old Babylonian Tablets

10 August 2024

10 August 2024

Researchers successfully deciphered 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets discovered over a century ago in what is now Iraq.  The tablets, housed at...

An intact Punic Tomb was Discovered in Malta

29 May 2021

29 May 2021

İntact a tomb dating to the Punic period was found in Tarxien. The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has announced the...

Archaeologists find sunken ancient Egyptian warship under Abu Qir Bay

26 July 2021

26 July 2021

According to a press release by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Egyptian French archaeological mission of the...

A farmer discovered artifacts of the Unetice culture in his field

19 August 2021

19 August 2021

A farmer in Sulęcin county in Poland’s Lubusz province discovered a rare treasure while trying to clear stones from his...

Hand disease known as Viking disease may have its origins in Neanderthal genes

14 June 2023

14 June 2023

A recent study in the Oxford University Press journal Molecular Biology and Evolution demonstrates that a condition known as Dupuytren’s...

2,000-Year-Old Iron Age and Roman Treasures Found in Wales Could Point to an Unknown Roman Settlement

12 May 2023

12 May 2023

A metal detectorist found a pile of exceptionally preserved Roman and Iron Age objects buried 2,000 years ago in a...

2900-Year-Old Erzin Stele: A Key to Understanding the Hittite to Greek Mythological Transition

5 April 2025

5 April 2025

In a significant archaeological discovery, a basalt stele was unearthed in 1987 by O. Günay while plowing his field at...

The 3,000-Year-Old Ancient City is Under Danger

8 February 2021

8 February 2021

For the port planned to be built in Izmir’s Aliağa district, a part of the 3,000-year-old ancient city is in...

Monumental Roman complex discovered in France

19 March 2023

19 March 2023

In the city of Reims in northeastern France, archaeologists have discovered an ancient Roman-era monumental complex dating from the 2nd...

Scientists discover 4 new Nazca Geoglyphs using AI deep learning

4 June 2023

4 June 2023

Scientists from Japan used AI deep learning to discover new geoglyphs in the Arid Peruvian coastal plain, in the northern...

Archaeologists Discovered Medieval Silver Communion Set and 70 Silver Coins in Hungary

16 June 2024

16 June 2024

A 14th-century silver communion set (chalice and wafer holder) and a treasure trove of 70 silver coins were discovered in...