In the spring of 1974, when local farmers were digging a well, they dug out fragments of a pottery human head from a depth of more than 2 meters, which caused a lot of discussion. This accidental discovery attracted great attention from the archaeological department, and has since revealed a cultural treasure house that has been hidden underground for more than 2,000 years. After the discovery of Pit No. 1 and Pit No. 3, Pit No. 2 was discovered in 1976. Pit No. 1 was partially excavated and opened in 1979; Pit No. 3 was fully excavated and opened in 1989; Pit No. 2 began to be excavated in March 1994, and the audience can watch the excavation process.
The Qin Terracotta Warriors pits are located from west to east, and the three pits are arranged in a "pin" shape. There are more than 8,000 pottery figurines and horses in the three pits. Since the opening of Pit No. 1, the Qin Terracotta Warriors Museum has received nearly 30 million domestic and foreign visitors, and heads of state from dozens of countries have visited in person, all of which were full of praise. Former French Prime Minister Chirac visited here in 1979 and praised the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses as the eighth wonder of the world. He believed that if you don’t see the pyramids, you don’t really visit Egypt; if you don’t see the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, you don’t really visit China.
Pit No. 1 is rectangular, 230 meters long from east to west, 62 meters wide from north to south, with an average depth of 5 meters and an area of ??14,260 square meters. The underground tunnel is a civil structure, with five slope doorways on the east and west sides, and two toilet doors on the north and south sides. The door openings are blocked by standing timber, and the pit is covered with shed wood, reed mats, and soil. There is a rammed earth wall every 3 meters in the pit. Terracotta warriors and horses are displayed in the spaces between the walls, and the bottom is paved with blue bricks. There are more than 6,000 pottery figurines and horses in Pit No. 1, which look like real horses, and more than 1,000 of them were excavated. Inside the pit is a rectangular military formation composed of infantry and cavalry figurines. At the east end are three columns of infantry figurines facing east, with 70 pieces in each column and a total of 210 pieces. They are the forward of the military formation. Followed by cavalry and horse chariots, there are 38 columns in the front and rear, each road is 180 meters long. Chariots and infantry are arranged alternately, which is the main body of the military formation. There is a row on the left and right sides of the military formation, facing the north and south horizontal teams respectively. Each team has more than 180 warrior figurines, which serve as the flanking guards of the military formation. There are three horizontal lines at the west end, two facing east and one facing west, which are the rearguard of the military formation. The entire military formation was tightly laid out and looked like it was ready to go. The warrior figurines each hold different bronze weapons, including knives, spears, swords, and halberds for close combat, and bows and arrows for shooting. The arrow is 97 centimeters long and has an eight-sided surface. Jing Ke used a dagger to stab the King of Qin, and the King of Qin used this sharp sword to kill the assassin. Although it has been eroded for more than two thousand years, the sword still maintains its strong and sharp character.
In order to protect cultural relics and facilitate visits. There is an arched exhibition hall built in Pit No. 1, with a total area of ??16,000 square meters and good lighting. The audience can see the majesty of the terracotta warriors and horses in the pit from the reviewing stand.
Pit No. 2 is located on the northeast side of Pit No. 1 and the east side of Pit No. 3. It is a square square array with a length of 96 meters from east to west and a width of 84 meters from north to south. The total area is about 6,000 square meters. The buildings in the pit are the same as those in Pit No. 1, but the formation is more complex and the types of troops are more complete. It is the most spectacular military formation among the three pits. Pit No. 2 has an exhibition hall of 17,000 square meters, which is currently the largest and most complete modern heritage exhibition hall in my country. Yuan Zhongyi, director of the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, explained: "Firstly, it is to better protect the cultural relics, and secondly, because it will take at least 5 to 7 years to clear the entire military formation from the ground. The advantage of this is that tourists can You can not only visit the local style of Pit No. 2, but also see the excavation work of Pit No. 2 with your own eyes.”
According to preliminary estimates, there are more than 1,300 pottery figurines and horses and 80 chariots in Pit No. 2. There are more than ten vehicles and tens of thousands of bronze weapons, among which the general figurines, the pommel horse figurines, and the kneeling archer figurines are discovered for the first time. There are four slope doorways at the east and west ends of Pit No. 2. There are two slope doorways on the north side. The figurine pit faces east from the west, and the main entrance is on the east side. The layout of the pit is divided into 4 units.
The first unit is located at the east end of the pit. There are 60 standing crossbow warriors in the surrounding corridor. The center of the formation is composed of 160 squatting and kneeling crossbow warriors on the east side of the eight road. The crossbowmen were arranged in a formation within a formation, standing, kneeling, rising, and shooting in turns to avoid the risk of the crossbows being drawn slowly.
The second unit, located on the right side of the pit, consists of 64 chariots (the chariots are made of wood and only the remains remain). Each column is multiplied by 8, so there are 8 columns. In front of the car are four pottery horses the size of real horses. Three terracotta warriors are arranged in a row behind each cart. In the middle, there is a hand pulling a horse's bridle. The other two stand on the left and right sides of the cart, holding long-handled weapons.
The third unit, located in the middle, consists of 19 tanks, 264 infantry figurines and 8 knight figurines forming a rectangular array, divided into 3 columns.
There is a knight figurine standing in front of each horse, with one hand holding the horse's reins and the other hand making a bow gesture. In addition to the three chariots, each vehicle is equipped with 8 to 36 infantry figurines.
The fourth unit is located on the left side of the military formation. 108 knight figurines and 180 pottery saddle horse figurines are arranged in 11 horizontal lines to form a rectangular cavalry formation. Among them, there are 6 tanks in the 1st and 3rd columns. In front of each horse, there is a figurine of a knight in Hu costume, holding the horse with his right hand and pulling the bow with his left hand.
Pit No. 3 is located 25 meters from the west end of Pit No. 1, with an area of ??about 520 square meters and a concave shape. There is a chariot in front of the door with 68 warrior figurines inside. Judging from the layout of Pit 3, it seems to be the general headquarters, commanding the left, right and center armies, but it has not been completed.
Pit No. 4 has pits but no figurines, only backfilled soil.
Judging from the layout and formation of the two pits, pit No. 2 has a complex formation and a complete range of troops, making it the backbone of the battle. This method of organizing is called in the military book "a large formation enclosing a small formation, a large camp enclosing a small camp, occasionally connected by hooks, and twisted to face each other." "Sun Bin's Art of War" said: "Those who are riding and fighting are divided into three, and one is divided into three. One is on the right, the other is on the left. If it is easy, it will have more chariots; if it is dangerous, it will have more cavalry; if it is more dangerous, it will have more crossbows." Only when the three are combined organically can one be invincible in a hundred battles. Pit No. 2 is the theoretical illustration of this ancient military strategist.
Judging from the year numbers engraved on the weapons unearthed from the Qin Terracotta Warriors pit, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses burial pit was built before and after Qin Shihuang unified China. Qin Shihuang relied on his ability to "swipe his sword to cut through the floating clouds" and "to control the talents of a group of people" to destroy the six kingdoms and rule the world. The terracotta warriors and horses reflect the Qin Dynasty's powerful soldiers and horses, and their all-powerful momentum. After the death of Qin Shihuang, Hu Hai, the second emperor of Qin, succeeded to the throne and continued to overhaul Afang Palace and Chidao. Taxation and corvee became more onerous than before, which led to a peasant uprising. In this form, pit No. 3 was terminated midway, and pit No. 4 was hastily filled before the terracotta warriors and horses could be placed. During the excavation, traces of fire were found, which may be related to the fact that King Chu Ba entered the pass and burned Epang Palace.
Walking into the hall of the museum, you can see thousands of life-size warriors in bronze, 1.8 to 1.97 meters high, neatly arranged 5 meters underground. Each one of them is mighty and majestic. It's really a formidable and forbidding atmosphere. There are also 32 pottery horses that are as big as real horses. A group of four pottery horses pull a wooden chariot.
The terracotta warriors and horses are arranged in three horizontal columns facing east. Each column contains 70 warrior warriors and 210 warriors, which seem to be the vanguard of the military formation. Immediately behind are 38 columns of infantry and tanks. Each column is about 180 meters long and seems to be the main body of the military formation. There are two horizontal lines on the left and right sides, one facing south and one facing north. There are about 180 warrior figurines in each line, which seems to be the two wings of the military formation. There is a row of warrior figurines facing west at the west end, which seems to be the rear guard of the military formation. The warrior figurines are wearing battle robes, some are wearing armor, and the bronze weapons they hold are all real objects. The organization is tight and the team is neat. Dozens of war horses held their heads high and neighed, gathering their hooves to move. The entire army is in a state of readiness.
The mighty and majestic military formation reproduces the military exploits and military power displayed by Qin Shihuang in order to complete the great cause of unifying China.
The art history of these terracotta warriors and horses is of high value. The creation of the terracotta warriors and horses is based on real life, and the artistic techniques are delicate and bright. The costumes and expressions of the pottery figurines are different. There are many different hairstyles, different gestures, and different facial expressions. From their clothing, expressions and gestures, you can tell whether they are officers or soldiers, infantry or cavalry. There are bearded veterans who have been on the battlefield for a long time, as well as young people who are new to the battlefield. The 1.96-meter-tall general statue stands majestically upright, contemplating, and showing a resolute and mighty look. The warrior figurine raised its head slightly and stared straight ahead, looking high-spirited and a bit childish. The posture and movements of the warrior wearing a shovel armor, holding a long sword in his right hand, and pressing the chariot with his left hand indicate that he is a chariot warrior guarding the car.
In short, pottery figurines have distinct personalities and strong characteristics of the times. This batch of Ode to Soldiers and Horses is a treasure house of sculpture art, which adds luster to the splendid ancient culture of the Chinese nation and adds a glorious page to the history of world art.
The bronze weapons unearthed in the Terracotta Warriors and Horses pit include swords, spears, halberds, scimitars, as well as a large number of crossbows, arrows, etc. According to laboratory data, these copper-tin alloy weapons have been chromium-treated. Although they have been buried in the soil for more than two thousand years, they are still sharp and gleaming. This shows that high metallurgical technology was already available at that time and can be regarded as the world's metallurgy. A miracle in history.
After seeing the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, people can’t help but ask: What is the purpose of building the pits of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses? People generally have four opinions: "the Su guards guarding the capital", "the symbol of Qin Shihuang's eastern patrol", "the group of funeral figurines", and "the monument erected in recognition of military merits". According to the archaeological excavation of the Qin Mausoleum, the overall layout of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum is a simulation of the palace city map during his lifetime. The three pits are located on the north side of Dongmen Avenue in the east of the city outside the mausoleum. They seem to be the Su Guards stationed outside the capital to guard the capital.
There are many carved or stamped words in the hidden places on the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses. According to some expert research, some of them are the names of potters, some from central official pottery workshops, and some from local pottery workshops. There are texts to be deciphered. The Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses were made in separate pieces, then installed and bonded. Generally, the bonded statues were formed and then baked in the chamber. The original terracotta warriors and horses were colored, but due to erosion over time, what you see now is just gray tiles.
The overall style of the warrior figurines is strong, strong and refined. If you observe carefully, there are differences in face shape, hairstyle, body posture, and charm. It can be seen that Qin soldiers come from different regions, have different nationalities, and have different personalities. Tao Ma's ears were erect, some opened their mouths and neighed, and some closed their mouths and stood silently. All of these are full of touching artistic charm. In the past, many people believed that ancient Chinese sculptures were formed with the introduction of Buddhism in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The discovery of the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses refutes this view and strongly proves that Chinese sculpture has matured during the Qin Dynasty and plays a role in the history of Chinese sculpture.
Judging from the unearthed weapons, the composition is mainly copper, and also contains rare metals such as tin and lead. The hardness is HR106 and the surface is chromium-plated, which reflects that my country’s metallurgical technology in the Qin Dynasty has reached a considerable height, greatly exceeding Countries outside the region at the same time.
The Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses provide a wealth of physical data for the study of the military, culture and economy of the Qin Dynasty. Its excavation has been hailed as "one of the great discoveries in the archaeological history of the twentieth century." In December 1987, UNESCO included the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang (including the Terracotta Warriors Pit) on the World Cultural Heritage List. It is understood that with the support of the central and local governments, it is planned to invest 110 million yuan in the second phase expansion project of the Qin Terracotta Warriors Museum
The excavation of Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses
Yuan Zhongyi: This one has no beard, this one you Look at this one with his head down.
Host: That’s it, yes, that’s the whole trick.
Yuan Zhongyi: The only one without a beard. This is the only one without a beard in the whole pit.
Host: Really, right here.
Yuan Zhongyi: Just it, just this one, the one with his head down.
Moderator: Do you know the reason for this?
Yuan Zhongyi: I can’t explain this clearly. The person who made it may have forgotten his beard. Some people say it’s a woman, but it’s obviously not a woman, because there were no female soldiers in the Qin Dynasty. It was made by the same person, Xianyang Jing. There is a little one next to this. This little one is called Gong Guang. This person made it.
Explanation: The exhibition hall of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit No. 1 is lined with pottery figurines of various shapes, with more than 6,000 pieces in number. Some of the pottery figurines are engraved with the names of the original makers. Currently, it is found that those who participated in the production of the terracotta warriors and horses are There are at least 87 craftsmen. Regardless of whether the craftsman's name is engraved on the body, Mr. Yuan can accurately tell who made them.
Host: If you look at a piece that has no craftsman’s name engraved on it, can you tell who made it? This really surprised me. How can you tell?
Yuan Zhongyi: It varies from person to person. Just like when we look at some painters now, we can tell which master made a certain painting at a glance. The same is true for pottery figurines. After you touch them for a long time, you can tell who made this figurine and who made that figurine.
Moderator: That is to say, you have developed the ability to appraise paintings and calligraphy.
Yuan Zhongyi: We are just used to it, we are quite familiar with it. I once found a Gong Bing who made 45 items.
Host: Aren’t these 45 items all engraved with names?
Teacher Yuan: Not all of them have their names engraved on them, but they have the same shape and style. To sum it up, it goes like this.
Moderator: The style is the same. Can this judgment be described in words?
Yuan Zhongyi: For example, take the pottery figurines made by Gong Bing. They are generally taller in stature and as strong as an iron tower. Their hair is very lifelike, but a bit too stylized. Compared with pottery figurines made by others. no the same. Some people make pottery figurines with wavy hair, and some make them as if they were made with a handful of mud and then pulled out with their fingers. He couldn't do it. He used a scraper-like tool to scrape it out piece by piece. His style was a little different from other people's styles.
Host: I think you seem to have a deep relationship with so many terracotta warriors and horses?
Yuan Zhongyi: I am very familiar with it. It seems that as soon as I close my eyes, I know which pottery figurine is in which position, which pottery figurine is in which position, and what kind.
Host: What kind of relationship do you have with them?
Yuan Zhongyi: It feels very cordial. It is as familiar to a company commander as it is to his soldiers. I once wrote a limerick: "During more than 20 years of obsession, I have had a long-lasting friendship with the figurines." It felt very cordial.
Explanation: Yuan Zhongyi first saw the terracotta warriors and horses in 1974. A Shaanxi farmer who lived near the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang dug a terracotta warrior head while digging a well. 42-year-old Yuan Zhongyi was appointed as the leader of the archaeological excavation team and led several archaeological team members to continue excavation around the well area. More and more pottery figurines were discovered in the soil. Yuan Zhongyi could conclude that this should be an ancient burial pit. . But he did not realize that the first few dozen days of excavation were just the tip of the iceberg of a huge archaeological discovery.
Yuan Zhongyi: When our archaeological team excavated, we did not realize that it was so important. When we came, the leader told us that when we got there, we would finish digging quickly and write a report.
Moderator: An ordinary archaeological discovery?
Yuan Zhongyi: Just treat it as an ordinary archaeological discovery. After arriving, who knew the Terracotta Warriors and Horses pit was so big? Pit No. 1 was found to be over 14,000 square meters.
Moderator: Can’t find the edge.
Yuan Zhongyi: It was found that there were 6,000 pottery figurines and horses inside. Many burial pits have been found in the past. Burial pits are generally small, but such a large scale and large number have never been seen before. .
Moderator: Did you realize at that time that this might be one?
Yuan Zhongyi: I was very happy and excited at the time. Later, we discovered Pit No. 2 and Pit 3 nearby. In these three terracotta warriors and horses pits, we found about 8,000 pieces of terracotta warriors and horses. They were like a huge underground army, and we were shocked.
Commentary: What Yuan Zhongyi and the archaeological team faced turned out to be a huge underground army. Regarding the existence of the pits of warriors, there is no record in the history books, and no legend has revealed a clue. Whose army did they belong to? The Guanzhong Plain was the Valley of the Kings from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty. On the horizon to the west of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit, you can see a huge mound, which is the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the founder of the Qin Empire. Could such a spectacular burial pit belong to the First Emperor? Archaeologists discovered a large number of bronze weapons from the soil, and the word "Temple Worker" was engraved on this spear. According to historical records, Temple Works was the national agency established by Qin Shihuang to be in charge of weapons production. On this gun, the text on the right is: "Made by Lu Buwei, Prime Minister in the fifth year." Lu Buwei was the prime minister of Qin Shihuang, and one of his responsibilities was to be responsible for the weapons production of the Qin State. It is undeniable that this row of life-size terracotta warriors and horses was the burial companion of the First Emperor. To Yuan Zhongyi's surprise, he discovered that before 1974, people of all ages had gone deep into the pits of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses at least 30 times and even seen the pottery warriors, but in the end they all missed this major archaeological discovery.
Yuan Zhongyi: Because there are many tombs in the figurine pits, including the current tombs, the earliest tombs are from the Eastern Han Dynasty. Let me give you an example. There are tombs in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The tomb in Pit 2, where the couple was buried together, was dug down, and a group of pottery horses were excavated. The pottery horses were broken into pieces. After being broken, they were placed in the tomb, because the pit of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses was a brick pavement. The two coffins were placed on the brick paved floor. Did you say you saw it? Another time, there was a big pit in the northwest corner of Pit No. 2. The big pit was very big, covering dozens of square meters. When we were cleaning the mud, we found a copper coin. This copper coin was from the early years of the Republic of China. Copper coins.
In other words, in the early years of the Republic of China, farmers dug soil there, covering dozens of square meters, exposing dozens of large pottery figurines. Then it rained and the silt gradually covered them up little by little. How much do you think? People saw it.
Explanation: For two thousand years, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses have continuously conveyed information about their existence to people, and finally emerged from the dark palace in the 1970s. The shock that the Terracotta Warriors and Horses brought to the world cannot be described in words. Touching these life-size sculptures, Yuan Zhongyi was shocked by the majesty of an emperor. Why did the First Emperor need to be buried with such large-scale terracotta warriors? And what kind of person was this emperor who founded China's first empire?
Explanation: Yuan Zhongyi discovered that when the terracotta warriors and horses were unearthed, it was obvious that they had suffered serious damage. In 1974, archaeologists were shown collapsed bodies one after another. Broken heads and broken arms are everywhere in this huge pit of figurines. Who had such hatred for these pottery figurines that they destroyed them to this extent? It is recorded in "Historical Records" that after Xiang Yu entered the Pass, he burned down the palace buildings in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang. If this record is true, it is very likely that the Terracotta Warriors and Horses pit was destroyed by Xiang Yu's army.
However, the restoration work of the terracotta warriors two thousand years later is extremely difficult. It takes an average of one month to several months for the archaeological team to excavate and restore each terracotta warrior. To this day, many terracotta warriors and horses are still standing incompletely in the pits due to the loss of fragments. Moreover, these precious cultural relics that have been buried underground for more than 2,000 years are easily changed when suddenly exposed to the air. How to protect their original appearance has become the biggest problem faced by Yuan Zhongyi and the archaeological team.
Yuan Zhongyi: Some color remnants on the pottery figurines are easy to change. Because the color is relatively special, a layer of raw lacquer was first applied, and then the color was painted on the raw lacquer layer. This raw lacquer has been buried underground for more than 2,000 years. Over the years, it has aged. The aging makes the pottery itself smooth, forming two skins.
Host: I opened it and it can’t stick anymore.
Yuan Zhongyi: Two skins are formed. When you suddenly open it and expose it to the air, the moisture will disappear immediately. Once it disappears, it will slowly rise up, and then it will fall off.
Moderator: How long does the lifting process take?
Yuan Zhongyi: We did some experiments on the lifting process, which usually takes five minutes. Five to six minutes, that's quick.
Host: So what should we do then?
Yuan Zhongyi: Measures must be taken immediately. After peeling off a small piece, it must be reinforced immediately.
Moderator: How can we reinforce it?
Yuan Zhongyi: Use adhesive. Two skins have been formed. If there is no affinity anymore, stick it first, and then use chemical solvent to fix it on the outside.
Moderator: All this must be completed within 5 minutes.
Yuan Zhongyi: This small piece cannot be used in a large film.
Moderator: We need to reinforce while digging.
Yuan Zhongyi: It should be like this. In addition, a certain amount of moisture must be ensured when digging out. If a certain humidity is maintained and the content is relatively high, the edges will warp slowly. So keep spraying water.
Explanation: When the No. 1 pit was excavated, a blue-grey pottery figurine was unearthed. Sometimes there were some red or purple residues on their bodies. Why is this like this? According to historical records, when the Qin Mausoleum project was about to be completed, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched an uprising and fought until they were 10 kilometers away from the Qin Mausoleum. Hundreds of thousands of people had no choice but to abandon the mausoleum project and go to the front to fight. Are the entire Terracotta Warriors and Horses an unfinished project that was hastily buried underground without enough time to paint them all over? During the subsequent excavation of Pit No. 2, Yuan Zhongyi and the archaeological team made an unexpected discovery. Six exquisite painted pottery figurines were buried in the soil. At this time, some people began to question that when Qin Shihuang's terracotta warriors and horses were unearthed, they were all painted, but later due to improper protection, they lost their color and turned into the blue-gray color we see now.
Yuan Zhongyi: This statement is inaccurate. Because I dig terracotta warriors and horses. decades. In the past, there were propaganda reports saying that the terracotta warriors and horses were all colorful when dug out, and then slowly fell off. This is not the case. The correct statement is this. The terracotta warriors and horses were originally painted.
Host: Are they all painted?
Yuan Zhongyi: Originally it was all painted, and it was painted when it was first made.
It had fallen off before the excavation, because this place is close to Lishan Mountain. After the flash flood, the pit was filled with water. During the cleaning process, we found a soaking line, traces of water soaking, and the depth of the water was 1.2 meters.
Moderator: More than half of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses.
Yuan Zhongyi: In addition, some terracotta warriors and horses fell down and were soaked in water. Of course, the color of the large blisters will fall off easily. This is one. Later, it was burned by fire, especially Pit No. 1, which was very badly burned.
Explanation: Various signs in the pit of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses indicate that a fire disaster occurred here. Some people speculated that it was Xiang Yu's troops, while others said that the workers who built the cemetery set the fire out of hatred.
Yuan Zhongyi: After being soaked in water and burned in a high fire, the color will naturally fall off, and it is impossible to preserve it.
Host: In fact, it fell off when it was dug out.
Yuan Zhongyi: Speaking of the remnants of color, relatively speaking, because Pit No. 2 was partially burned by fire, the color protection is relatively better, but it is not complete. Generally speaking, the preservation is better than that in Pit No. 1, because the colors in Pit No. 1 have basically all fallen off. In Pit No. 2, we have found that the colors of the 6 pottery figurines are basically preserved.
Moderator: Have we retained it after technical processing?
Yuan Zhongyi: Now keep them all.
Host: In other words, the paint peeling off was not actually caused by our excavation.
Yuan Zhongyi: That’s not the problem.
Explanation: The excavation of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses is proceeding slowly but smoothly. There are still many pottery warriors that have not been unearthed in the pits of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. It will take at least several decades to complete these excavations. Mr. Yuan Zhongyi, who witnessed the unearthing of all the terracotta warriors and horses, is now undoubtedly the person most familiar with the terracotta warriors and horses. He is also respected as the "Father of the Qin Terracotta Warriors". (CCTV International)
The Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses large-scale national treasure cultural relics exhibition displays bronze swords, bronze spears, bronze crossbows and other bronze weapons unearthed from the Qin Terracotta Warriors pit. What is amazing is that these weapons were buried underground for 2,000 years. Over the years, when it was unearthed, it was as bright as new without any rust, which aroused the amazement and curiosity of many visitors. According to Peng Wen from the Exhibition Department of the Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, the China Institute of Nonferrous Metals and the Academy of Geological Sciences used electron probe analysis and laser analysis to find that the bronze sword unearthed from the Qin Terracotta Warriors pit has a dense chromium salt oxide layer on the surface, with a thickness of 10 to 15 microns. In addition, the metallurgical history compilation team of Beijing Iron and Steel Institute used electron probe and X-ray fluorescence to analyze the bronze arrowheads unearthed from the Qin Terracotta Warriors Pit, and found that there was also a dense chromium salt oxide layer on the surface, with a thickness of 10 microns. Peng Wen said: "This shows that the bronze weapons in the Qin Terracotta Warriors Pit were consciously treated with chromate and dichromate during the production process, so that a light gray or dark gray protective layer was formed on the surface of the weapons to increase the durability of the weapons. Anti-corrosion and anti-rust capabilities, making the weapon as bright as new and extremely sharp. Chromium salt oxidation technology is an advanced scientific process. There are two methods of chromium plating in the world: electronic chromium plating and chemical chromium plating. Electronic chromium plating emerged with modern industrial civilization. Germany only applied for international patents in 1937 and the United States in 1950. However, the chemical chromium plating technology was created by the working people of our country more than 2,000 years ago. This can not but be said to be a miracle in the history of metallurgy.