Skip to main content

Secondary sourceArtifact3 October 2011

Qin Terracotta Figure from Pit K0006

Gary Todd · 3 October 2011

A photograph of a terracotta figure excavated from pit K0006 in the necropolis built for Qin Shi Huang, shown in the mausoleum museum.

This figure was part of the vast terracotta army created for Qin Shi Huang's burial complex.

Ask Emperor Qin Shi Huang about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Photograph of a standing grey terracotta figure of a Qin dynasty attendant or soldier in a museum display case. The figure wears a long tunic with a belt, has arms extended forward with hands clenched, and stands on a rectangular base. The surface shows cracks and wear.
Terracotta figure from pit K0006, Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Museum, Lintong. Photo by Gary Todd, 2011.

About this source

What it is

This is a 2011 photograph of a terracotta figure from pit K0006, part of the funerary complex of Qin Shi Huang, now displayed in the museum at the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum in Lintong.

Why it matters

The terracotta figures were made as part of the enormous burial complex planned for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China. Each figure gives historians evidence about Qin-era clothing, craftsmanship, and the scale of labor the emperor could command.

Look closer

  • What details on the figure's clothing and pose can you make out?
  • What might the cracks and wear tell you about the figure's age and burial?
  • Why do you think such large numbers of figures were made for one tomb complex?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Emperor Qin Shi Huang on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Emperor Qin Shi Huang sources

Meet the AI Emperor Qin Shi Huang →
Excavated pit of the Terracotta Army under a large covered hall. Rows of life-sized clay soldiers stand in long trenches separated by earthen walls, with some clay horses visible at right. Visitors watch from walkways at the edges.Sculpture

Primary source

Terracotta Army

c. 247–209 BCE

Wide view of a landscaped park on a sunny day: a paved plaza in front, a grass lawn, a rectangular hedge with a small white pavilion on a raised mound, tall cypress trees, a wooded hill behind, and groups of visitors.Artifact

Primary source

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

246–208 BCE

Aerial view of the Great Wall of China at Jinshanling. Stone wall with watchtowers winds along a green forested ridge through hilly terrain, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.Artifact

Primary source

Great Wall of China

7th century BCE–present, Qin-era sections 3rd century BCE

A rough, brownish stone-like weight with a knob on top, displayed in a glass case on a white base. A green patina inscription plaque with carved characters is set into its front face.Artifact

Primary source

Qin Iron Weight with Imperial Edict

221 BCE

A single narrow wooden or bamboo slip, pale yellow-tan, with a dark blackened top end and a pointed bottom end, mounted behind glass on a fabric-covered backing. Several lines of brown-black ink characters are written vertically down its face.Document

Primary source

Liye Qin Slips

Qin dynasty, 3rd century BCE

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Emperor Qin Shi Huang now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions