Hey there! Have you heard about the latest cool discovery in China? 🧐 Archaeologists in Xi’an, a city in northwest China, have just uncovered the head of an officer figurine from the famous Terracotta Warriors’ Pit No. 2! Isn’t that amazing?
The Terracotta Army is a huge collection of sculptures that were buried with China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, over 2,000 years ago. These sculptures are like life-sized action figures made of clay (which is called terracotta), and they were meant to protect the emperor in the afterlife. 🏯
But this isn’t just any figurine head. It’s a painted officer’s head! 🎨 That means it still has some of the original colors from when it was first made. Preserving these colors is super tricky because the paint can fade or peel off when exposed to air after being buried for so long.
Before taking out the head, experts did a lot of careful planning. They analyzed the soil around it, collected color data, and even did 3D scans. 📊📸 This helped them make sure they wouldn’t damage the delicate paint when they lifted it out.
They also checked to see if the head’s crown (the fancy hat officers wore) was pressed against a terracotta horse nearby. 🐎 This was important because they didn’t want to harm either piece during the excavation.
After they took out the head, they controlled the humidity to protect the paint. Too much moisture or dryness can cause damage, so they had to get it just right! 💧
This discovery helps us learn more about ancient Chinese history and the incredible craftsmanship of the artisans back then. Isn’t history awesome? 😊
Reference(s):
Officer figurine head retrieved from terracotta army's Pit No. 2
cgtn.com
