ARH 203 Handout
Politics behind the Emperor’s Tomb
Week 2
Objects and Images
Terra-cotta soldiers
Seals
Key Terms
Terra-cotta
Kiln
Lacquer
Substitute / miniature / replica
Realism
Historical Figures
The Grand Historian Sama Qin (145 BCE-)
Qin Shihuangdi, the First August Emperor of Qin (259 – 210 BCE)
Dynasties and Regimes
Spring and Autumn Period:
Warring States Period:
Qin Empire:
770-476 BC
475-221 BC
221-207 BC
Quotes
“…the terra-cotta army is a monument glorifying Qin’s superiority in military organization… at the
same time… a model of Qin society itself” (Ledderose)
- The very ability to construct 7000 soldiers demonstrate that the terracotta is not just an army
- It shows how the qin dynasty was able to create such a spectacular but cruel achievement as
a whole