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The massive Terracotta Army of China, found in Xi'An, is one of the most famous archaeological finds in modern history. The massive collection of clay statues was forgotten and hidden from history for more than 2,000 years until its chance rediscovery in 1974. This, and the discovery of the tomb of the first emperor of China that precipitated, has helped fill innumerable gaps in ancient Chinese history and in world history in general. The fascinating stories surrounding their creation and discovery, and the lessons they've taught us, are as interesting as they are valuable.

Intrigued? Read on to find out all you need to know about China's terracotta warriors.

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Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of China, and the founder of the Qin dynasty. The Qin dynasty only lasted for about 15 years, from 221 BCE to 206 BCE, but its effect on the rest of Chinese history is hard to overstate.

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Qin Shi Huang established the Qin dynasty at the end of China’s Warring States period, after his home state of Qin conquered all other states and set up the first unified governmental system in China’s history.

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During his relatively short reign, Emperor Qin standardized China’s writing system, as well as its units of measurement and its forms of currency. Qin also set in motion a massive public works campaign that connected the Chinese states through a system of roads and canals.

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Although Qin Shi Huang was only 13 years old when he took the throne of the Qin state, construction on his burial complex began immediately. The end result would become the largest burial complex in the world, and its discovery would mark one of the most important finds in the history of archaeology.

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According to an ancient history tome known as the ‘Records of the Grand Historian,’ accredited to Sima Qian (pictured), construction on the Terracotta Army and the surrounding tomb complex began in 246 BCE, the year that young Qin came to power.

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Construction would go on for nearly 40 years, and would last even longer than the emperor’s reign. Qin died in 210 BCE and was immediately buried in the already-completed tomb section of his complex, but the surrounding areas required four more years of work, and weren’t completed until just before the fall of the Qin dynasty in 206 BCE.

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In total, the Terracotta Army consists of around 8,000 warriors. While it was customary for leaders to be buried with protective items that would follow them to the afterlife, the size and sheer number of these warriors wasn’t matched by any other burial group before or after.

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Apparently, this is because Emperor Qin feared that all the enemies he had made on his conquest of domination during the Warring States period would hunt him down for revenge in the afterlife.

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All 8,000 or so warriors are facing to the east, the direction that the emperor’s resting place would most likely be attacked from, given that the location of the mausoleum is in the westernmost region of China.

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It is thought that emperor Qin took even further precautions to ensure his well-being in the afterlife. Although none have been discovered yet, ‘Records of the Grand Historian’ warns that rivers of liquid mercury were constructed all throughout the complex.

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Over the course of its 40-year construction, more than 700,000 laborers worked on the terracotta warriors and the surrounding complex. Emperor Qin was notorious for his cruelty and disregard for the well-being of his subjects, and it is thought that a great many workers perished during construction.

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In addition to the deaths caused by dangerous working conditions, the same paranoia that was responsible for the massive project’s construction in the first place also led Emperor Qin to have some of the key designers and artisans murdered in order to keep the secrets of the tomb secure.

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The Qin dynasty collapsed shortly after the underground mausoleum was completed in 206 BCE. The location of the complex was still a well-kept secret at the time, and was lost from time and memory for nearly 2,000 years after its completion.

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That is, until one day in 1974, when six brothers in the Lintong district of Xi'an were digging a well, and came across fragments of terracotta along with some bronze arrowheads. Further investigation led to the discovery of what is now known as Pit 1, which contains the first 6,000 of the 8,000 total known warriors.

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More than 50 years later, archaeological studies are ongoing, and new discoveries are being made all the time. Here’s what we know so far about the construction of the legendary Terracotta Army.

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Terracotta is a type of clay that was commonly used in ancient China for decorative construction and pottery. It differs from other types of clay in that it always has a consistent reddish-brown color, while other types of clay can range from hues of white and gray to darker browns.

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In an attempt to expedite the building process, the warriors were made using molds (exact molds not pictured) for different body parts that were then put together. Almost all of the warriors’ hands and feet are identical, but there are eight known molds that were used for the heads of the warriors.

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This doesn’t mean that the Terracotta Army is an army of clones. Once constructed, detailed and subtle characteristics were added to each warrior’s face by hand with great care, resulting in no two statues looking exactly alike.

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The Terracotta Army was also organized like a real army, with separate divisions of archers, infantry, and cavalry. They were also organized by rank, with some figures showing signs of leadership and others assuming lower roles of military hierarchy.

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In addition to the ocean of warriors, there were also 520 warhorses, 130 of which pulled bronze chariots behind them. The horses were awarded just as much attention to detail as the warriors were, with each saddle and bit showing its own signs of wear and tear.

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Each warrior was armed, and reserves of weapons were found as well in other excavation sites in the area. While the warriors themselves were made of terracotta clay, they were equipped with real weaponry, almost entirely made out of bronze.

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Around 40,000 swords, arrowheads, battleaxes, and other types of weaponry have been found across the dig sites, and they are all in exquisite condition considering their 2,000 years of neglect.

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Researchers found that the wonders of ancient Chinese metallurgy kept the bronze from rusting. A technique thought to be only discovered as recently as the 20th century that involves coating bronze objects in chrome was used by these ancient artisans to drastically slow down the deterioration of these weapons.

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These ancient warrior statues were originally painted from head to toe in vibrant colors to make them appear more lifelike. Colors were made by mixing different ground minerals, such as azurite for blue or charcoal for black. Some of the colors used, like purple, have been impossible to recreate with modern methods and remain a mystery.

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Unfortunately, the warriors’ paint flaked off of most of the unearthed statues within an hour of excavation. While the paint was kept intact by its moist underground surroundings for 2,000 years, contact with the dry air of Lintong caused the mixtures to fall apart almost immediately.

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While research and investigation is ongoing, Emperor Qin’s necropolis is thought to cover at least a 20-square-mile (52-square-kilometer) area. Pit 1 (pictured), the largest collection of warriors, is itself 0.9 miles (1.5 km) from the emperor’s inner tomb.

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The emperor’s tomb itself has never been opened, and likely won’t be for a long time. On the recommendation of archaeologists, the Chinese government won’t allow the tomb to be opened until the available technology can guarantee that whatever lies inside will be kept intact.

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In 1987, UNESCO declared the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor a World Heritage Site, one of less than 60 in China. It has since become one of the most visited sites in the country, attracting more than one million tourists each year.

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Excavations continue at the site of the Terracotta Army and the surrounding area. Many of the warriors will be left unexcavated for the foreseeable future, in hopes of preserving them until more technology is available.

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New discoveries are being made nearly every day. Just since 2010, more than 200 new warriors have been discovered, along with 12 more clay horses, two more chariots, and a number of bronze pieces as well.

Sources: (China Highlights) (History) (LBV Magazine)