- China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, commissioned the building of the Terracotta Army to defend him in the afterlife in 246 BC.
- There are an estimated 8,000 soldiers and nearly 1000 chariots and horses buried in the three pits at the site in Xian, China. Most of these have yet to be excavated.
- The discovery was made by a group of farmers digging a well at the site in 1974. The museum of the army opened on the site five years after the discovery was made.
- The mausoleum is bigger than most ancient cities. The extent of the site has not been fully determined, and may be spread over 32 square kms. Archaeologists have discovered nearly 600 pits already.
- An estimated 700,000 people worked on the mausoleum.
- The soldiers are unique, and have variations in height, weight, rank, weapons, facial features, hairstyle and uniforms. It's assumed that each clay figure is modelled on a real soldier.
- The tomb of Qin Shi Huang has not yet been opened. This is partly because archaeologists contest its location, and partly because, according to legend, the tomb is booby-trapped. The tomb is believed to contain a number of treasures.
