Terra-cotta Armies, Large and Small: New Finds from Chinese Imperial Tombs

Colloquium at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology

Saturday, February 26 at 3:00 PM

Lenart Auditorium, Fowler Museum, UCLA 

Public Lecture Program of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology

Professor Lothar von Falkenhausen, Art History Department, UCLA

Professor Jianxin Wang, Dean of Archaeology, Northwest China University (X'ian)

Dr. Zhang Zhongli, Deputy of the Museum of Qin Shihuang's Terra-cotta Army

Dr. Zhang will describe the excavation, conservation methods, and future plans for the burial site of Qinshihuang, nearly Xi'an, which yielded the famous 8,000 terra-cotta soldiers.

Professor Wang will describe the discovery and archaeology of the Han Yangling mausoleum just outside the city of Xi¡¯an. The mauseleum, built to contain the remains of Emperor Jing Di and his empress, was constructed over nearly three decades (from 153 B.C. to 126 B.C). The burial site itself extends over some 20 square kilometers. Excavations at the site have brought to light armless terra-cotta figures, about three feet tall and naked, which presumably had moveable wooden arms and clothing, all of which would have decomposed.The site also contains long rows of miniature horses, sheep, swine, chickens, and dogs. The museum at the site was opened in 1999.

Published: Saturday, February 26, 2005