1 . Unearthing the Importance of the Life-Sized Terracotta Warriors

The unexpected unearthing of the Terracotta Army is renowned as one of the world’s greatest archaeological events. Discovered in northwestern China and dating back to its first dynasty, the ceramic(陶制的)figures have shed light on the country’s ancient artistic practices and age-old burial traditions.

In addition to offering a glimpse into Imperial China’s distinctive approach to_______art, the sculptures are also celebrated for their scale ---both______each individual sculpture’s height and the group as a whole.

Here, we present the history of the Terracotta Army, including its creation in the third century BCE and its_______in the 1970s.

In 246 BCE, Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, took________the empire at just thirteen years old. As ruler of the first Imperial Empire, he is credited with several accomplishments, including standardized scripts and coins, the construction of the Great Wall, and the_______of the state.

To celebrate his triumphs and_______his life, he ordered the construction of a necropolis(陵寝)in Xi’an. He filled his necropolis with precious possessions as well as thousands of specially-made terracotta soldiers to _______ him in the afterlife. Though 7,000 laborers devoted decades to constructing the over-the-top necropolis, the_______ was left unfinished when Qin died in 210 BCE.

Historians theorize that the heads and bodies of the warriors were made through________ production. This means that each individual part, such as the arms and legs, were made independently of one another to speed up manufacturing. Then, after being________in the kiln, a large furnace for burning, baking and drying, these various parts became one figure.

For centuries, Qin Shi Huang’s massive necropolis remained undetected. However, in 1974, workers stumbled upon a large_______ of a terracotta warrior while digging a well. Inspired by this surprising find, archaeologists began to explore the area, resulting in the discovery of thousands of similar soldiers in four pits.

Designed with an impressive level of detail, each figure is a one-of-a-kind work of art. The life-sized sculptures are______in height according to military ranking --- some as tall as Yao Ming, while some as short as 1.77 meters, with their uniforms, hairstyles, and even facial shapes and expressions following suit. Though they appear the same shade of grey, the figures would have originally been______painted, highlighting their lifelike features and drawing attention to their eye-catching artisanship.

________the 8,000 soldiers themselves, 130 ceramic chariots and 670 horses were also found in the necropolis._______, clay figures of dancers, acrobats, and musicians were also unearthed, though these vivid figures are greatly outnumbered by the stoic army.