How long.. how long was this underground, before someone unearthed it? What might have the sculptor been thinking? How many sculptors did it take? These are all questions I feel when I see the picture of this.. Seeing this, i feel strength in numbers, yet, some sort of animosity when I think about how long they were underground, untouched.. Not to mention, they STILL haven't excavated the tomb mound.. who's to say what is next underneath there? But, the thought of 8,000 still standing soldiers underneath the ground, for thousands of years, with out extra air, and breaking the light of day, kinda creeps me out! I mean, here we are, everyday life, and there they are, just chilling while we're walking RIGHT over top of them.
But, what mostly confuses me, is why they were facing east. ALL of them were... why? I have, NO idea myself. Nothing brings this to mind for me. I can't figure out why. Could someone answer this for me?
That's a lot of people just for one guy!
Is it possible that the enemy of these people lay to the east and that is why the emperor lined them up in that direction - to keep a vigilant watch for him? What do you think about how they are lined up in such straight lines? I am amazed at how they were able to excavate the earth around the soldiers and still be careful not to break any of the terracotta pieces.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Chinese Army must have been pretty powerful.. And that's a great point Joyce, I didn't think of it that way. I can definitely say that I wouldn't want to be the enemy, the soldiers look incredibly focused. Almost ominous and foreboding. I am also intrigued at how they managed to keep most of it in tact while excavating.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty remarkable how well preserved these 8,000 soldiers with 100 horses and found in 1947!? That just blows my mind. These soldiers look so focused as if they are waiting for the other army to make the first move on them. It's pretty amazing this piece!
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