The Terracotta Army: What do these three words signify? It's common knowledge worldwide that they represent the eighth wonder of the world. When you hear this from the mouth of French President Chirac, you understand just how remarkable this phenomenon is.
Why is that? The Terracotta Army is all about quantity and grandeur! Thousands of life-sized terracotta figures stand there as if they were alive, and the sheer presence is enough to bewilder anyone who sees them. Not to mention that after thousands of years, the colors are still so well preserved; it's no exaggeration to call it an artwork.
However, a question arises, and there's a persistent rumor among the people that these terracotta figures were made by firing live people.
——【·Folklore·】—— If you talk about this rumor, it really starts with ancient burial systems, especially the inhumane practice of "human sacrifice."
Human sacrifice, in essence, is the act of using living people for ritual purposes, dating back to primitive societies. When it came to the Shang Dynasty, it was the peak of human sacrifice.
Shang kings would frequently sacrifice slaves to heaven, calling it "showing sincerity." Imagine thousands of slaves buried alive in the imperial tombs; just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle.
By the time of the Zhou Dynasty, things were slightly better, as Zhou rituals emphasized "people-oriented" principles.
But let's face it, which noble in the Zhou Dynasty didn't have some dirty secrets? Human sacrifice was officially banned, but behind the scenes, it was business as usual.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, warfare was as common as daily meals, and human sacrifice was revived.
If they won, they would take a bunch of prisoners as burial accompaniments; if they lost, they would also find some people to bury with them. In short, human lives at that time were as worthless as grass.
It wasn't until Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified the six states that people's rights were somewhat improved. Whether it was a conscience discovery or a belief in the cruelty of human sacrifice, he abolished the system after he came to power.
However, there's always a workaround. The Qin state, being remote and less open-minded, still practiced burial as usual.
What's more, the Second Emperor of Qin was even more ruthless than his father. As soon as Emperor Qin Shi Huang died, he had all the concubines without children buried with him.
So, you see, the idea that the Terracotta Army was made by firing live people is not entirely baseless.
On one hand, the system of human sacrifice did exist and was very common at the time; on the other hand, the Second Emperor of Qin was known for his tyranny, so it wouldn't be surprising if he did such a thing.
But we must talk about evidence and not jump to conclusions based on speculation. As far as archaeological discoveries are concerned, the Terracotta Army was not made by firing live people.
Firstly, the production process of the Terracotta Army is very complex, involving molds, clay sculpting, firing, and many other steps, making it impossible to fire live people directly.
Secondly, archaeologists have not found any human bones or other evidence related to live burials in the pits of the Terracotta Army.
So, the claim that the Terracotta Army was made by firing live people is completely unfounded.
## ——【·High Technology·】—— You might not have imagined that when the Terracotta Army was first unearthed, it wasn't the gray, earthy appearance we see today.
Back then, they were clad in bright "battle robes," especially that shade of blue, which would be considered "high technology" even today.
In 2006, in the nuclear physics laboratory at Stanford University, a group of experts were preparing to use a synchrotron to solve the mystery that had puzzled the academic world for more than a decade: what was the origin of the blue color on the Terracotta Army?
At that time, the only known ancient blue pigments in the world were Egyptian blue and Mayan blue.
One was calcium silicate copper, which the Egyptians made 5,000 years ago, and the other was the mysterious formula of the Maya people, mixed with tree sap and clay.
So, is the blue of the Terracotta Army an "import" or a "local specialty" that our ancestors made themselves?
Some foreign experts immediately assumed it was an "import" because, in their view, it was incredibly difficult to invent a brand new blue pigment in those days.
Think about it, it wasn't until after the Industrial Revolution that humans just mastered the technology to synthesize purple pigments on a large scale; otherwise, why are there no purple flags in the world? So, in their view, how could the Qin Dynasty, more than 2,200 years ago, have such black technology?
As a result, they began to speculate that in that distant age, there must have been a mysterious trade route from Egypt to China, which brought Egyptian blue and Western sculptural techniques all the way to China, eventually leading to the creation of these blue-clad Terracotta Army figures.
However, many Chinese experts expressed skepticism about this, believing that the blue on the Terracotta Army was likely a "Chinese blue" invented by the Chinese themselves.
In the end, it was the synchrotron at Stanford University that provided the answer.
The experimental results showed that the blue on the Terracotta Army was neither Egyptian blue nor any "Chinese blue," but a brand new blue pigment—barium copper silicate, which has a more complex molecular structure than Egyptian blue and contains a special ingredient—lead monoxide, which gives this blue a unique blue-purple hue, also known as "Chinese purple" that we refer to today.
## ——【·"Chinese Purple"·】——» The discovery of "Chinese purple" was like a heavy hammer, striking those who doubted the level of ancient Chinese technology right in the face.
You must understand, this is not a simple natural mineral pigment, but an artificial pigment that requires a series of complex processes to synthesize, proving that as early as more than 2,200 years ago, our ancestors had already mastered an extremely sophisticated material synthesis technology.
So, the question arises, how did the ancients invent this "black technology"? This brings us to the ancient Chinese worship of jade.
In the eyes of the ancients, jade was a symbol of nobility, purity, and sanctity, and everyone from nobles to commoners were eager for jade artifacts.
To meet the demand for jade, ancient craftsmen began to think about how to create artificial jade. As early as the Qin Dynasty, craftsmen had already mastered the production process of artificial jade, also known as colored glaze.
The emergence of "Chinese purple" just shows that the ancients, in the process of creating artificial jade, accidentally mastered material synthesis technology and applied it to the production of pigments.
Unfortunately, due to environmental influences, it is now very difficult for us to see the stunning "Chinese purple" on the Terracotta Army.
At that time, in order to make the Terracotta Army last for thousands of years, Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered a layer of lacquer to be applied to the surface of the Terracotta Army. Lacquer, extracted from the lacquer tree, is a natural coating with anti-corrosion, waterproof, and insect-proof effects, and can be considered the "universal coating" of ancient times.
However, in the humid underground environment of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, lacquer also met its fate.
When the Terracotta Army was unearthed and exposed to dry air, the lacquer began to dehydrate and crack rapidly, and the pigments attached to it also peeled off, leaving only the mottled earthen figures we see today.
In order to preserve this stunning legacy from more than 2000 years ago, experts have racked their brains.
They have tried various methods to preserve the pigments on the Terracotta Army as soon as they are unearthed, but unfortunately, due to the current level of technology, these attempts have not made any substantial breakthroughs.
