Archeological excavation of Terracotta Warriors delivers fruitful, illuminating outcomes [View all]

Xinhua, September 10, 2024



Color-painted figure heads are pictured during an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the discovery and excavation of the iconic Terracotta Warriors at the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)


A Terracotta Warrior, with its arms extended forward to mimic the posture of holding reins and driving a chariot, drew the eyes of visitors at an exhibition in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Unlike most grey-white warriors which had lost their paint due to a chemical reaction that caused it to peel off after they were unearthed, the sleeves of this warrior managed to retain their paint.

The color of the sleeves, known as Chinese Purple or barium copper silicate, was created chemically via reactions involving azurite, malachite and other elements at 1,000 degrees Celsius, according to Ye Ye, deputy director of the exhibition department of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an.

"Chinese Purple has not yet been found in nature, while this figurine is the earliest object with the exact age information and unearthed location to feature this color," said Ye. "The pigment is still difficult to produce even with current leading technologies, illustrating the wisdom of ancient Chinese people."

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