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In the year of 1974,  a cluster of farmers were digging wells close to Xi'an, China encountered a human-sized terracotta soldier. They dug the soldier out and realised it was one of an army of thousands, each were distinctive, with distinguishing clothing, hair and facial features. This site is an archaeological source and entails the historical monument of the tomb as a whole. It is useful as it is the direct site of the tomb, and is a physical chunk of history that has remained with us for thousands of years, allowing us to learn many things about this time period. For almost 40 years, archaeologists have been searching the site and have discovered approximately 2,000 clay soldiers, but they estimate there are far more than 8,000 altogether.

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After the discovery of the tomb by an archaeologist was reported to the Chinese government, a formal excavation was organised and the site was split into several pits, where different layers of soldier figures were found. When the tomb was excavated, they were separted into several different "pits" or "levels", and these separate areas had different types of soldiers standing in them. This is a useful primary source as it allows us to see the different types of soldiers from the time of Emperor Qin, as well as how they are distinguished in terms of costuming, appearance and weapons.

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The earliest accounts of the Qin Shi Huangdi's tomb were recorded by a historian named Sima Qian, who was alive during the emperor's reign. He carefully recorded historical details of the emperor's death, burial and the erection of the tomb prior to this. This primary source, an intergenerational historical book written by Sima Qian and his father and is useful as it allows historians to understand the very beginnings of this now-archaeologically famous site through the detailed descriptions written in his book directly from the ancient time period.

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Source S.1 - An Artist's Interpretation of Qin Shi Huangdi

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Source S.1 - An Artist's Interpretation of Qin Shi Huangdi

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This 3D digital artwork, based on observations of the tomb as well as historical descriptions within Sima Qian's records, is useful because it allows for a digital recreation of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. It deepens historical understanding of the site through a technological adaptation of the ancient world to help us visualise a snippet of history.

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Source A.3 Differing Types of Terracotta Soldiers 

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Source A.3 Differing Types of Terracotta Soldiers 

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The terracotta soldiers differ in height, uniform and hairstyle based on their rank. Their faces seem to be unique for each individual but scholars have discovered 10 basic face shapes. The soldiers are either of these types; armoured warriors; unarmoured infantrymen; cavalrymen who wear a pillbox hat; helmeted drivers of chariots with carrying charioteers; kneeling archers who are armoured; standing archers who are not; as well as generals and other lower-ranking officers. There are many differences between the uniforms within the ranks. As an example, some figures might have long trousers, while others have short trousers. These different types of terracotta soldiers serve as useful pieces of archaeological evidence because we are able to see the different categories of soldiers and what made them different from each other, letting us learn more about what it was like during this time.

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Most of he weapons that the soldiers were holding have been taken or have decayed. Regardless, well over 40,000 bronze items of weaponry have been discovered, including swords, daggers, spears, crossbows and shields. Some of the weapons were covered with a 10-15 micrometer layer of chromium dioxide before being buried so the weapons wouldn't rot while being underground for the last 2200 years.

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Source S.2 - Recreation/Restoration of Figures in Museum

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Source S.2 - Recreation/Restoration of Figures in Museum

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The terracotta soldiers on display in museums were reconstructed in workshops by government labourers and local craftsmen using local materials, and serve as a secondary source because they are reinterpretations of a different time period. The body parts were created separately and then joined by luting the parts together. When finished, they positioned in the exact military ranks and duties. At least 10 molds were used to make the faces. Clay was then incorporated to make the facial features look distinctive. This is useful as it allows us to see, in real life, a replica of what the terracotta soldiers would have looked like when they were newly created and painted in Ancient China.

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The Tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi is tremendously important as it informs us about one of the most significant eras within Ancient Chinese history - the reign of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huangdi and the cultural importance of the afterlife in Ancient China.  The primary and secondary sources allow us to create a clear image of the hundreds of soldiers and cavalry serving in the emperor's army, including their weaponry and costuming from this time period.
The countless number of archaeological, primary and secondary sources that originate from the site allows us as historians to introspectively examine an extremely significant part of Ancient Chinese culture, life, war and customs as well as develop our own interpretation as to what it would be like to be living in this particular time period and to be witnessing soldiers in action. The sources from this site provides knowledge into not only how these soldiers were costumed, what they looked like and what weaponry they carried, but also gives us a broader understanding of Emperor Qin's obsession with immortality - as these thousands of terracotta soldiers were made with the belief that his reign would be protected in the afterlife. The sources provided are not just "evidence" that these things in ancient times happened, but also a tool for further understanding the values and thinking from those times.

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The archaeological evidence mentioned previously count as primary sources.

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Sima Qian

Novel, State Library of NSW

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https://www.livescience.com/22454-ancient-chinese-tomb-terracotta-warriors.html

Website

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The First Emperor, China's Terracotta Army

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The First Emperor, China's Terracotta Army

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The British Museum

Book

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up54OesStMA

Discovery Channel Documentary

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https://www.britannica.com/topic/terra-cotta-army

Website

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https://www.britannica.com/place/Qin-tomb

Website