xi'an, once the capital of eleven chinese dynasties, is famous throughout the world for life-sized terra-cotta warriors and horses. they have won fame as one of the greatest archaeological finds of this century. back in 1974, while digging a well to fight drought, some farmers from lintong county, about thirty kilometers east of xi'an, unearthed some brown pottery fragments, which led to the great discovery of the executed terra-cotta legions as an exterior section of the mausoleum, of qin shi huang or first emperor of the qin dynasty (255-210b. c. )
details of "qin shi huang's tomb can be traced in the historical records (compiled by sima qian) and legends about it have been widespread. however, for technical rea
