The Terracotta Army is an archaeological site located near Xi'an in Shaanxi Province of China. The “army” consists of thousands of statues of soldiers surrounding the tomb of the first Qin emperor, Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The site has been an important archaeological site since its discovery in March 1974. The site has been studied and excavated extensively by archaeologists over the past 40 years. Some consider the site one of the most important archaeological sites ever found. In 1987 UNESCO added the site to the list of World Heritage Sites (Wertz). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Workers digging a well on local farmland discovered the Terracotta Army in 1974. The workers notified the Chinese government who then sent trained officials to examine the artifacts and the site. Examination and excavation of the area revealed a huge tomb containing over 8,000 soldiers and horses, all equipped with weapons as if prepared for war. The researchers soon realized that they had discovered the largest collection of ceramic and terracotta figurines ever found in China. Through written historical documents and archaeological evidence, researchers have determined that the entire site was built by a team of over 700,000 workers between the years 246-209 BC (Rhodes). Through excavation and examination of the site, researchers have determined that the site surrounds the tomb of the first Qin emperor, making it incredibly important to China's history. The first Qin emperor brought many changes to Chinese culture, including the standardization of coinage, the expansion of the Chinese empire, and the first construction of the Great Wall. Because Qin Shi Huang was so important to Chinese history, the discovery of his tomb was an important event for archaeologists. The site consists of at least four pits built to separate different parts of the army; the first pit contains over 6,000 soldiers standing at attention. Many of these soldiers were broken or damaged when discovered. Researchers have been working to repair the damage ever since. The second and third pits contain Calvary units complete with chariots and horses, as well as higher-level military officers such as commanders and generals (Wertz). Through intense processes of measurement and examination archaeologists have discovered that no two figures are exactly alike. Using 3D and X-ray technology, archaeologists estimated that eight face molds were used for the soldiers and clay was then added to create specific facial features. It is also worth noting that archaeologists have found that warriors have different heights based on military rank and position. The researchers were able to use precise measurement techniques to determine this. The Emperor's actual tomb remained intact and unopened. It is thought to be the size of a football pitch and contains large quantities of valuable artefacts. Historical accounts of the tomb's construction report that there were streams of mercury flowing through the tomb to simulate rivers. Chemical testing of the area supported this claim. It is believed that the Terracotta Army was placed around the tomb to protect the Emperor in the afterlife (Rhodes). Although archaeologists have not excavated the entire site, they are certain that many more rooms exist. Ground-penetrating radar technology, as well as X-ray technology, has revealed vast rooms containing unknown artifacts. One room in particular appears to be made up of walls shaped like stairs (Roach). Through.