In March 1974, farmers digging a well in Lintong district near Xi'an, in China's Shaanxi province, hit fragments of a life-size clay warrior. Archaeologists uncovered an army of more than 8,000 terracotta soldiers, along with horses, chariots and bronze weapons, buried to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, who died in 210 BC. Each soldier has an individual face and was originally painted in bright colours. The emperor's own tomb mound, nearby, has not been opened. The site was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Before and after
- 1974The Ebla tablets are found in Syria
- 1974Stephen Hawking predicts that black holes radiate
- 19 January 1974Battle of the Paracel Islands
- 30 January 1974Birth of Christian Bale
- March 1974The Terracotta Army is discovered
- 8 March 1974Construction of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport
- 2 April 1974Construction of Westfalenstadion
- 2 April 1974Death of Georges Pompidou
- 25 April 1974Carnation Revolution
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 1945Discovery of Nag Hammadi library
- 1945Allied-occupied Germany
- 1950Discovery of the Ishango bone
- 1952Michael Ventris deciphers Linear B
- from 26 October 1955 to 30 April 1975South Vietnam
- from 2003 to 2006Serbia and Montenegro
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.