Flags shade the sun
Like lowering clouds the foe
While arrows fall
The Warriors forward go

Songs of Chu (340-278 BC)

Those words are the first thing you will see when entering the Terracotta Warriors exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto Canada. They were written during the “Warring States” period, a time when China was split apart into a mishmash of feuding small polities.

Qin Shi Huang, the leader of Qin, conquered the other warlords in 221 BC, unifying China. After he died he was buried in a mausoleum with nearly 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors and officials nearby. His dynasty was short-lived. Not long after he died the Emperor Gaozu came to power inaugurating the Han Dynasty, a line of rulers that would rule China for over 400 years.

The words written at the start of this exhibit are an appropriate way to lead it off. Qin Shi Huang was no peacemaker. He came to rule China because his state – Qin – became very adept at waging war in the years preceding 221 BC. There were no diplomatic “summits” in Ancient China that allowed its warlords to settle their differences. Even if there was a peace-meeting,  it’s hard to imagine Qin Shi Huang showing up.

Grim appreciation

I came away from this exhibit with a grim appreciation for the First Emperor. Was he a brutal conqueror? Yes, of course, but he did succeed in unifying China after centuries of divide. Even the coins of China, which had a different shape and style depending on where you lived, became standardized into one currency. 

ROM President William Thorsell pointed out to me that he was a “brutal” ruler who had people buried alive. True, but the Shang kings, who ruled a smaller (but unified) Chinese state, 1,000 years before Qin Shi Huang, engaged in mass human sacrifice. In fact recent excavation at a Shang palace-temple complex in Huanbei has uncovered 40 sacrifices in one building alone. 

It’s also important to take the idea of the “harmonious Han”, as the last section of this exhibit is called, with a giant grain of salt. The Han rulers pushed the borders of their empire into Central Asia and Vietnam overextending themselves. The fall of the Han in the late 2nd/early 3rd century AD was quite spectacular and included a full-scale peasant revolt led by a Daoist faith healer.  

Harmonious? I think not.

So, with these thoughts in mind, what does this exhibit hold? 

Rise of Qin

The exhibit is divided into three parts. It starts with the Rise of Qin which looks at the growth of the Qin state from its beginnings in the 8th century BC. One of the first artefacts is a bell that belonged to a Duke Wu of Qin who ruled ca. 697-678 BC.

The inscription on it reads -“My foremost ancestor received the Mandate of Heaven, was awarded land and received title to a state...” 

This ancestor is believed to be Duke Xiang (ca. 780-769 BC) who was awarded land by a Zhou king. Xiang was granted this reward because he provided military support when the Zhou faced an invasion by the Xi Rong people in 771 BC.

Another intriguing object, although it’s quite tiny, is a gold bridle fitting that depicts five dragons. Gold was rare in ancient China – which raises the questions – how did the Qin get it?

The reason likely has to do with geography. Their territory was located on the western edge of the country. The state’s rulers could have acquired the metal from traders living on the frontier.

One other artefact I want to bring up is a Jade pendent, worn by a Duke of Qin nearly 2,600 years ago. The craftsmanship, as seen in a high-res image released by the museum, is quite impressive, a testimony to the skill of the state’s artists.

A mock battle

You might find yourself being a bit distracted as you walk through the Rise of the Qin section. The reason is that there is a giant – I’d say 16 ft by 8 ft – mock battle being projected onto one of the walls.

Cavalrymen charge, arrows fly and a lot of infantrymen get shot down. There is no voice-over but you do hear the sounds of battle. The scenes being shown do not depict a specific battle that took place in China’s history – but rather a mock demonstration. It aims to give you an idea of the weapons, tactics and equipment that were used during the Warring States period.

The Terracotta Army

The second part looks at the Terracotta army that was buried just 1.5 km east of Qin Shi Huang’s burial place. There are 10 “life-size” figures on display in this section – including two terracotta horses.

To see these figures with your own eyes is a spectacular experience. Each of the terracotta figures have a unique face - based off of real soldiers who lived nearly 2,200 years ago. To look into the eyes of a person who lived so long ago is simply incredible. To do so in the dark lighting is haunting, if not just a bit spooky.

Where to begin?

The exhibit includes two terracotta generals, quite a treat considering that only nine have ever been discovered. One of the generals is a well built man wearing fish scale armour, a doubled layered tunic and headgear that includes what looks like a knotted bow. His shoes are flat-ended with upturned toes.

It’s hard to put his expression into words but, needless to say, I doubt that any of his soldiers ever disobeyed him.

The other general, for some reason, is not wearing any armour at all. However he does have flat-ended shoes with up-turned toes. He also wears decoration which suggests that he holds the rank of general.

A warrior in colour

Moving on, the biggest treat, in a geeky history loving kind of way, is a kneeling crossbow man with, yes, a bit of colour!

The Terracotta Warriors originally had a mix of colours, including green, red, purple, blue and white. This pigmentation was lost because the conservation techniques available in the early excavations couldn’t preserve them.

You’ll see that this man’s armour still has a pinkish color on his scales. In ancient times, he was probably buried with a wooden crossbow. He is kneeling because the bow he carries needs to be reloaded.

Chinese military tactics called for the use of two lines of bowmen. One line would be standing up and firing, while the other would be kneeling and putting a new bolt in. That way the enemy is always getting shot at.

Moving on you’ll see another unusual terracotta figure. A charioteer is shown clutching onto (what were) reins for his horses. Charioteers can’t defend themselves while driving so they normally wear heavy armour that extends over their hands and collar. Yet, for some reason, this fellow is wearing the armour of a regular infantryman – exposing himself to great danger.

An ordinary grunt and.... an acrobatic act!

An un-armoured, low-ranking, foot soldier is another one of the figures on display. Scholars believe (hope!) that this fellow used a bow in real life and, as such, would have been a little distance away from the front line. Below his tunic he’s wearing short trousers and strips of leather or cloth that are wound up around his lower legs. Despite his predicament he still looks very determined. If this fellow is afraid he’s certainly not betraying it.

It’s estimated that there are about 1,000 of these “low-ranking” soldiers among the Terracotta Army. Some have armour and some do not. Yet that didn’t stop this fellow from being sent to aid the First Emperor in the afterlife.

Moving away from soldiering, acrobats, in Ancient China, were referred to as bai xi, a word that literally means “hundred games.” They served as entertainers in royal courts and even today are an important part of Chinese culture.

The figure on display was one of 11 that were unearthed from a pit in 1999. His right finger is pointing up and his (surviving) leg is bent – suggesting that he is performing some sort of balancing act.

Han artefacts

The Han element of the exhibit has a lot to offer. The biggest thing you’ll notice is the change in art style. Terracotta figures are still produced in Han times but they are much different than the Qin dynasty warriors. They tend to be smaller than life and don’t have the same personalized features.

My personal favourites are the Terracotta dogs – the museum has five of them on display – All of which are from Emperor Jing’s (188-141 BC) tomb complex in Yangling. The female dogs have shorter legs and a tail curled up on their backs. The male dogs have longer legs and a heavier head and neck.

No examples have been found from Qin Shi Huang’s tomb complex, suggesting that they were not in use during the first emperor’s times.

These are not the only Terracotta animal on display, far from it, the museum also has a goose, hen and – wait for it – a terracotta rooster! The colours on the rooster, a rich mix of red, pink and black, are well preserved – standing the test of time better than the warriors themselves.

Another well-preserved Han figure is that of an official. A miniature, this figure is dressed in a white robe, with red borders. He appears calm, with his hands inside his robe – as if ready to take orders. He was also found near the burial of Emperor Jing.

A Toronto blockbuster?

This will be the third major ancient history/archaeology exhibit to hit Toronto in the past year. Last summer the Dead Sea Scrolls made a stop at the museum and in November 2009 King Tut visited the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Both exhibits brought in droves of visitors. More than 400,000 visitors went to the art gallery to see King Tut (the exhibit made a $1 million profit) and the Dead Sea Scrolls brought in about 330,000 people to the ROM. Both exhibits were hailed as a success and proof that Toronto residents dig the ancient world.

If any exhibit can measure up to Tut and the Dead Sea Scrolls it's this one. The extraordinary nature of these artefacts, and the skill in which they are presented, mean that the ROM should expect a steady stream of visitors over the next six months. 

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About The Author

Owen Jarus (follow me: e-mail or )

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.