Accessing the Terracotta Warriors by Touch - ROM Creates Braille Replica Warriors

Submitted by owenjarus on Thu, 08/26/2010 - 00:55

The Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto Canada, has brought in a number of features to make their Terracotta Warriors show more accessible.

They have installed four replica artefacts, along with Braille markings, that people can touch. These include a ding ritual vessel, a kneeling archer, a cavalry soldier and horse, and a dancer.

The kneeling archer is of particular interest. The example on display at the ROM has some surviving color - information that will presumably be included in Braille. His armor is also quite detailed as seen in this close-up shot.

Each of the warriors has a unique look (scholars believe they were modeled on real Qin Dynasty soldiers). Being able to touch the face of the replicas will give viewers a chance to better take in the details.

These touchable replicas are not the only accessibility features being used in this exhibit.

“For those who are blind or with vision loss, tactile booklets are available for loan at no charge at the admission desk, as are large-print exhibition booklets. These publications feature Braille and large print, a tactile exhibition map and tactile graphics of numerous highlighted exhibition objects. Many graphics in the exhibition feature prominent, large font,” the museum said in a press release.

“For those who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafened, the exhibition’s two mini-theatres are equipped with Acoustical containment. Neck loops are available for special paid-tours upon request. Further, the exhibition’s numerous videos that include narration are captioned in both English and French.”

Also, “Podcasts pertaining to the exhibition or its series of lectures can be found on the ROM’s website and are captioned in English.”

The exhibition area itself is wheelchair accessible, with elevators, automatic doors and two accessible restrooms. Wheelchairs are also available for borrowing at the coast check on a first come first serve basis. The Terracotta Warrior show at the Royal Ontario Museum until January 2, 2011.

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Owen Jarus (follow me: e-mail or

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Last three pieces by this author:

19 New Objects from King Tutankhamun's Tomb Discovered in New York | 'Unique' astronomical object reveals Ancient Egyptians kept close tabs on the Big Dipper | King Tut suffered 'massive' chest injury, new research reveals

Owen Jarus is a freelance writer based in Toronto ,Canada. He has written articles on archaeology for a variety of media outlets including The Canadian Press newswire (CP), U of T Magazine, The Mississauga News and The Guelph Mercury. Education: BA from the University of Toronto in History, Geography and Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations.

Comments

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Hi Owen,

I am huge fun of the Terracotta Warriors as one of my history modules at grad school focused on Chinese history. And then somehow by pure accident I landed on this site with loads of pages on these. I guess I'm hooked! It's also great to to know the improvement ROM has made to make the Terracotta Soldiers more accessible to those with disability. Thanks.

James Carlton
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Wed, 20-07-2011 22:50

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"Since Oct<a href='http://www.dominateseo.net/customer/index.php?linkwheel-link-wheel-service&cid=236'>.</a> 1st, 2010 the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses and the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum have been combined into one large tourist area, which also includes three other small sites that will be opened in 2011. A through ticket (CNY110) is adopted. The Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the nearby three unopened sites (namely the Museum of Terracotta Acrobatics, the Museum of Terracotta Civil Officials and the Museum of Stone Armor) constitute the so-called Lishan Garden. Besides, 30 free shuttle buses have been available for visitors' convenience to travel between the Lishan Garden and the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses from then on.

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum in Lintong, Xian, Shaanxi Province. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC)."

Mon, 17-10-2011 09:45