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Witness History: Discovering the Terracotta Army

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Discovering the Terracotta Army

21/03/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, Discovering the Terracotta Army

In 1974, Chinese farmers stumbled upon an astonishing archaeological site

In 1974, a chance find by farmers digging a well in China led to an astonishing archaeological discovery.

It's 50 years since a chance find by Chinese farmers led to an astonishing archaeological discovery.

Thousands of clay soldiers were uncovered in the province of Shaanxi after being buried for more than 2,000 years.

They were guarding the tomb of the ancient ruler Qin Shi Huang, who ruled the Qin Dynasty.

In 2013, archaeologists Yuan Zhongyi and Xiuzhen Li told Rebecca Kesby about the magnitude of the dig, and how unearthing the incredible statues shaped their careers.

(Photo: Terracotta soldiers stand to attention. Credit Marica van der Meer/Arterra/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

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