Terracotta Army

While farmers were digging a well, they discovered some pottery and a terracotta head. These belonged to an army of terracotta warriors who had been buried for over 2,000 years.

Ancient Chinese people believed in the afterlife and buried kings and other noble people with a human sacrifice. People argued against these sacrifices, which led to terracotta warriors being used instead.

Some of the warriors had colours. These were red, pink, blue and green. Some of the colours came from minerals and plants. However, the purple came from a chemical reaction.

The life-sized warriors wore helmets to show their rank. The terracotta army also had facial features.