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China's Terracotta Army,
8,000 strong,
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fully armed
and built for eternity.
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Created more than
2,000 years ago, it was lost
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and only recently discovered.
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Now this stunning treasure
reveals the first empire
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to rule ancient China.
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We found amazing
archaeological objects.
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ANDREW BEVAN:
And the implications
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are enormous for archaeology.
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It's going to be truly
revolutionary.
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NARRATOR:
But who made this vast army?
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How and why?
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It's the creation of an
amazingly advanced civilization.
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MIKE LOADES:
The Chinese crossbow is
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two millennia ahead of its time.
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NARRATOR: Its ancient weapons
excel in rigorous modern tests.
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MARCOS MARTINON-TORRES:
You cannot make
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a better arrowhead than this.
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NARRATOR: Archaeologists
piece together clues
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and try to decode
these ancient wonders.
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Warriors and weapons.
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Chariots and horses.
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An entire world buried
for more than 2,000 years
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now sees the light of day.
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Revealed in all
its original glory,
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the "Emperor's Ghost Army."
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Right now on NOVA.
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NARROR: Majolt's been called
VA the Eighth Wonder of the World.
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A vast army of almost
8,000 warriors,
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all over 2,000 years old.
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Larger than life-sized and made
from terracotta or baked clay.
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A stunning array of infantry...
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cavalry...
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and chariots.
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Creating on such an epic scale
must have been
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an extraordinary challenge.
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How was it done?
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And what can it tell us
about ancient China?
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Now a series of archaeological
excavations shows
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the Terracotta Army
is only the start,
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a small part of a vast complex
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estimated to be over
21 square miles.
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On the outskirts,
there's chilling evidence...
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The mass graves of the people
who built it, piled with bones.
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The site contains hundreds
of subterranean tombs,
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filled not only with the clay
warriors, but also birds...
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horses...
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musicians...
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and acrobats.
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All of this surrounds
a huge man-made mound,
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the tomb of the man responsible
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for creating China's
first empire.
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So far, archaeologists
have excavated
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about 1,900 terracotta figures,
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only a fraction of the number
believed to be buried
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in three major pits.
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Each figure is intricately
detailed,
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weighs 300-400 pounds
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and is made from seven
main parts.
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The archaeological work
has taken 40 years
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and much still remains
to be uncovered.
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JANICE LI: We found
amazing archaeological objects.
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So I think we cannot guess
what's buried beneath
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in the whole tomb complex.
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NARRATOR: But now
archaeologists are finding new answers
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to many of their questions.
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Why was the Terracotta Army
created?
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And how and when
was it engineered?
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Who were the people who built it?
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And what was their fate?
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Scientists have dated
the charcoal found in the pits
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as well as the clay
in the figures.
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All the evidence indicates
that the Terracotta Warriors
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were made around 2,200 years ago,
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more than 200 years before
the birth of Christ.
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It was the end of what
historians call
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"the warring states period,"
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when for over two centuries,
China was devastated
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by rival states
fighting for dominance.
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Mass invasions and battles raged
across the countryside.
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But finally one of those states
conquered all the others
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and created the Terracotta Army.
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And all in a single lifetime.
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The great mystery is how.
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It's a mystery because the
oldest surviving literary source
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was written nearly a century
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after the Terracotta Army
was built,
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by the father
of Chinese history, Sima Qian,
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who wrote these classic records
of the warring states
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and later dynasties.
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Surprisingly, he made no mention
of the Terracotta Army.
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Nor does any other source.
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Over 2,000 years ago,
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these warriors were buried
and forgotten.
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No one knew they ever existed.
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Then, one day in 1974,
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during a drought
in Shaanxi province,
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Mr. Yang and other local farmers
started digging a well.
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He tells China historian
Jonathan Clements what happened.
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(translated): I used a
pickaxe to dig the hole.
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JONATHAN CLEMENTS: As they were digging
down they found what they first thought
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to be the rim of a pot.
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I said, "There's bronze
under ground."
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They also found bronze.
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They found metal artifacts,
so they start dragging cartful's
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of broken terracotta
out of this well.
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Then a shoulder and chest
appeared.
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CLEMENTS: As they dug
away the earth around it,
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they realized that they were
looking at the body of a statue.
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They had the top of the armor
and they saw an arm.
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I told my friend,
"This is a temple."
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CLEMENTS: What if they have
disturbed gods in an old temple?
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That is bad news.
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(Yang speaking Mandarin)
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CLEMENTS: Of course what
he didn't know was the importance
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for the entire planet.
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Because this is the most
important archaeological finding
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in China of the last 100 years
that you can look at
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and say ancient China
was amazing.
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NARRATOR: Archaeologists soon
found heaps of broken terracotta...
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Bits of legs, headless humans
and even horses.
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All smashed after 22 centuries
underground.
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They were buried
in three large pits.
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Pit Two has only been
partially excavated
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and still looks as it did
when first unearthed.
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The roof planks are thought
to cover nearly 1,000 warriors
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and scores of chariots.
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Pits One and Three have also
been partially excavated
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and an elaborate restoration
process begun,
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repairing hundreds of warriors
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and recovering their lances,
arrowheads and swords.
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(translated): It astounded the
world when it was first discovered
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and is truly unique.
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We have five ongoing archaeology
sites in the mausoleum.
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NARRATOR:
The Terracotta Army Museum
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has become a major international
tourist attraction,
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housing a vast treasure trove
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of ancient art, technology
and information.
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But can it be used to clarify
how a 2,000-year-old culture
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overcame all the challenges
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of creating
such an epic masterpiece?
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It's a mystery that a joint team
from University College London
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and the Terracotta Army Museum
is investigating.
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MARCOS MARTINON-TORRES: There are
two types of visitors to the Terracotta Army.
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Some appreciate the beauty
in the detail.
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You can choose
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any of these warriors and you
will immediately admire
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the very personal
facial expression,
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the individual hairstyle.
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Other people are more taken
by the sheer scale of this site,
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its magnitude.
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How was it possible
to orchestrate
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all the technological knowledge,
all the resources
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and all the manpower needed
and to do it so quickly?
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NARRATOR: It was built
in an amazingly short period,
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all within 37 years,
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the length of the reign
of Qin Shi Huang,
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the first emperor of China.
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That's according to Sima Qian's
historical records,
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which state that he was
enthroned in 246 B.C.
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and that this is when work
started on his mausoleum...
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and that 37 years later,
he died and work stopped.
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But by then Qin Shi Huang
had built an empire.
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His Qin state ended
over two centuries of war
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and conquered
all its powerful neighbors.
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The first emperor now ruled
many millions of people
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and an area that rivaled
the size of the Roman Empire.
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The Qin Empire gave its name
to China,
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along with a legal system
and one currency.
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But the first emperor also had a
reputation for extreme cruelty.
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CLEMENTS: What we now
call China is only called China
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because of the first emperor.
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The problem the Chinese have
today is reconciling this idea
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that he was a cruel tyrant
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and that hundreds of thousands
of people suffered and died
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under his regime.
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NARRATOR: His story in Sima
Qian also lists some of his crimes
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as massacring prisoners of war,
burning books
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and slaughtering his critics.
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CLEMENTS:
But also that he did some good.
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He unified China.
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He took these disparate states
with different languages
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and with different writing
systems, and he forced them all
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to be Chinese.
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NARRATOR: Sima Qian's accuracy
has been questioned, since he lived
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a century after the first
emperor died and was a member
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of the succeeding dynasty.
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But his account describes
the emperor's obsession
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with immortality...
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which may help explain the
motivation behind the building
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of his vast tomb.
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LI:
What he believed when he died,
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he still can carry on his life
in the underground kingdom.
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So he brought all of the things
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with him to the underground
kingdom.
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NARRATOR: The ancient
Chinese saying "treat death like birth"
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meant he could enjoy his
possessions in the afterlife.
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This may have inspired
the elaborate planning
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00:14:09,016 --> 00:14:12,362
of his vast mausoleum
and, overshadowing it all,
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the first emperor's
own huge tomb mound.
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The grand historian said
the imperial coffin was buried
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00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:30,769
under the mound, which was
originally 350 feet high.
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00:14:34,975 --> 00:14:37,921
The mound has not yet
been excavated
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00:14:37,945 --> 00:14:41,792
for fear of damaging it,
and it won't be
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00:14:41,816 --> 00:14:44,027
until the contents can be
safely preserved.
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00:14:45,986 --> 00:14:50,434
But Sima Qian vividly describes
how a model of the empire
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surrounded the bronze coffin
with miniature rivers of mercury
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flowing into seas and heavenly
bodies on the ceiling above.
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The tomb mound is the center
of a mausoleum
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00:15:10,578 --> 00:15:12,823
unrivaled in history,
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00:15:12,847 --> 00:15:16,026
built so the emperor's afterlife
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00:15:16,050 --> 00:15:19,918
matched his luxurious life
before death.
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00:15:21,621 --> 00:15:24,735
Dams diverted streams
around the tomb.
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00:15:24,759 --> 00:15:28,271
Over 300 coffins were filled
with horse skeletons.
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Other pits held models
of exotic animals
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and even members
of the emperor's court.
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So we're finding musicians and
acrobats and weight li.
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So we're seeing an entire
culture revealed to us.
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NARRATOR: This is not just a
mausoleum, but an eternal pleasure palace.
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Two half-size chariots made up
of over 3,400 parts.
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Each is pulled
by four bronze horses.
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Their harnesses embellished
with gold and silver.
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00:16:09,569 --> 00:16:13,350
LI: They got bronze
chariot for his spirit to travel
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00:16:13,374 --> 00:16:16,319
in the afterlife.
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And also he got
terracotta warriors with him
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to protect him in afterlife.
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NARRATOR: Such beliefs may
explain the creation of the Terracotta Army
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00:16:28,289 --> 00:16:32,191
and why it is located a mile
to the east of his tomb.
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It stands guard
between the emperor's grave
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and the states he subjugated
to the east.
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He may have feared that
the spirits of his many victims
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would seek revenge
in the afterlife.
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00:16:56,382 --> 00:16:59,629
So perhaps the terracotta
bodyguards were created
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00:16:59,653 --> 00:17:02,855
to combat any threat
from the underworld.
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00:17:07,193 --> 00:17:11,441
The ongoing survey work
has mapped the newest finds
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00:17:11,465 --> 00:17:15,601
and shows the site is far larger
than originally thought...
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covering the area of 10,000
football fields.
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00:17:28,748 --> 00:17:31,795
But how did the Qin craft
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00:17:31,819 --> 00:17:34,787
so many imposing and intricately
designed clay warriors?
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00:17:38,391 --> 00:17:41,371
Reassembling the broken figures
is the first part
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00:17:41,395 --> 00:17:46,298
of their restoration and reveals
the clues to how they were made.
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00:17:49,969 --> 00:17:53,806
Each figure was hand-crafted
from the local clay.
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00:17:55,842 --> 00:17:58,588
You can see on the broken
figures how the torso
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00:17:58,612 --> 00:18:01,758
was created by coiling clay
around in layers
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00:18:01,782 --> 00:18:04,116
to build the upper body.
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LI: That's the marks here.
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00:18:07,254 --> 00:18:11,557
Probably the hand holding inside
and then smooth outside.
248
00:18:14,794 --> 00:18:18,408
NARRATOR: Master craftsman
Mr. Han has studied the figures
249
00:18:18,432 --> 00:18:21,845
with the museum curators
and worked to replicate
250
00:18:21,869 --> 00:18:23,769
ancient production methods.
251
00:18:25,872 --> 00:18:28,485
So what's the weight
of an average warrior?
252
00:18:28,509 --> 00:18:32,923
(speaking Mandarin)
253
00:18:32,947 --> 00:18:34,658
LI: About 200 kilos.
254
00:18:34,682 --> 00:18:36,726
That's over 400 pounds, wow.
255
00:18:36,750 --> 00:18:39,129
Yes, so that's very heavy.
256
00:18:39,153 --> 00:18:45,068
NARRATOR: Limbs, boots,
hands and heads were all cast
257
00:18:45,092 --> 00:18:47,804
from the local clay,
which was pressed into molds
258
00:18:47,828 --> 00:18:49,606
shaped for each body part.
259
00:18:49,630 --> 00:18:55,812
Originally the legs were based
upon molds used for drainpipes.
260
00:18:55,836 --> 00:18:59,182
The molding process creates
a variety of limbs
261
00:18:59,206 --> 00:19:02,786
that can be combined with the
various torsos in different ways
262
00:19:02,810 --> 00:19:05,622
to create a mix of figures:
263
00:19:05,646 --> 00:19:09,392
Archers, heavy infantry,
264
00:19:09,416 --> 00:19:13,463
cavalrymen, generals, officials
265
00:19:13,487 --> 00:19:17,556
and charioteers
and even their horses.
266
00:19:20,293 --> 00:19:23,340
Once the hollow mold
is filled out with clay,
267
00:19:23,364 --> 00:19:28,645
it's joined and allowed to dry
before the figure is assembled,
268
00:19:28,669 --> 00:19:30,769
ready for firing in a kiln
or oven.
269
00:19:33,673 --> 00:19:38,243
Mr. Han has built a replica
of an ancient Qin kiln.
270
00:19:41,547 --> 00:19:43,727
MARTINON-TORRES: So it's
based on the real Qin archaeology.
271
00:19:43,751 --> 00:19:46,652
LI: Yeah, that's based on
the Qin, real Qin archaeology.
272
00:19:50,423 --> 00:19:52,168
NARRATOR:
The figures are sealed up
273
00:19:52,192 --> 00:19:57,062
and then fired for days
to harden them.
274
00:20:00,233 --> 00:20:06,283
The original figures are
a combination of molded parts.
275
00:20:06,307 --> 00:20:09,641
But are they clones
or individuals?
276
00:20:12,912 --> 00:20:15,614
There are a variety
of different faces.
277
00:20:23,523 --> 00:20:26,391
They are dark
and light skinned...
278
00:20:28,494 --> 00:20:30,929
with varying facial hair.
279
00:20:40,540 --> 00:20:43,775
They have many different
eye shapes...
280
00:20:50,183 --> 00:20:54,553
and a dazzling array
of hairstyles and headwear.
281
00:20:56,956 --> 00:20:59,769
There are clearly differences
among the figures,
282
00:20:59,793 --> 00:21:02,694
but is each one truly unique?
283
00:21:10,069 --> 00:21:13,049
The scientists hope to provide
a definitive answer,
284
00:21:13,073 --> 00:21:16,975
by making 3D models to allow
precise comparisons.
285
00:21:21,514 --> 00:21:25,417
Each figure will need to be
scanned into the computer.
286
00:21:27,887 --> 00:21:31,701
But 3D laser scanning is
time-consuming and expensive.
287
00:21:31,725 --> 00:21:36,206
So Janice Li is using
a still camera as the first step
288
00:21:36,230 --> 00:21:40,643
in a process that will turn
2D pictures...
289
00:21:40,667 --> 00:21:42,434
into 3D models.
290
00:21:48,808 --> 00:21:51,888
ANDREW BEVAN:
This is a very new technique
291
00:21:51,912 --> 00:21:55,325
and the implications
are enormous for archaeology.
292
00:21:55,349 --> 00:21:57,455
And it's going to be truly
revolutionary.
293
00:21:58,985 --> 00:22:02,432
NARRATOR: Back in London, Andrew
Bevan is compositing the photographs
294
00:22:02,456 --> 00:22:04,790
to create a 3D model.
295
00:22:06,492 --> 00:22:09,305
BEVAN: What the software tries to
do is to go through each photograph
296
00:22:09,329 --> 00:22:10,907
and define a set of features
297
00:22:10,931 --> 00:22:12,175
that it can recognize.
298
00:22:12,199 --> 00:22:14,463
It might be, for example,
the tip of an ear.
299
00:22:15,902 --> 00:22:19,549
NARRATOR: In humans,
no two ears are the same
300
00:22:19,573 --> 00:22:20,884
and Andrew Bevan wants to know
301
00:22:20,908 --> 00:22:24,888
if this is the case
for the terracotta figures.
302
00:22:24,912 --> 00:22:28,825
The computer maps the features
in three-dimensional space,
303
00:22:28,849 --> 00:22:33,229
then joins them up
to create the head.
304
00:22:33,253 --> 00:22:37,500
BEVAN: We've done this
particular warrior in all of his glory.
305
00:22:37,524 --> 00:22:40,637
NARRATOR: These models are
designed to allow precise comparison
306
00:22:40,661 --> 00:22:44,240
of everything from hands
to heads,
307
00:22:44,264 --> 00:22:45,775
arms to armor
308
00:22:45,799 --> 00:22:48,578
or figure to figure.
309
00:22:48,602 --> 00:22:50,287
Effectively, the sky's the limit.
310
00:22:51,704 --> 00:22:54,984
In this particular case,
I'm going to slice off the ear
311
00:22:55,008 --> 00:22:58,922
of the warrior so it could be
compared to some others.
312
00:22:58,946 --> 00:23:03,793
NARRATOR: This will show if
they are all anatomically unique.
313
00:23:03,817 --> 00:23:07,630
The results indicate that
the ears vary in shape,
314
00:23:07,654 --> 00:23:10,555
with different sized earlobes.
315
00:23:12,758 --> 00:23:16,139
What we've discovered so far
through these 3D models
316
00:23:16,163 --> 00:23:20,143
is that no two ears are
demonstrably the same.
317
00:23:20,167 --> 00:23:23,346
These warriors seem to be
very individual
318
00:23:23,370 --> 00:23:26,571
in the same way as a typical
human population.
319
00:23:27,740 --> 00:23:29,686
NARRATOR:
Some archaeologists suggest
320
00:23:29,710 --> 00:23:32,944
that they are even portraits
of real people.
321
00:23:35,648 --> 00:23:38,528
So this was an army
of individual warriors,
322
00:23:38,552 --> 00:23:41,319
each strikingly real
and unique...
323
00:23:45,158 --> 00:23:51,441
the product of the skill,
dedication
324
00:23:51,465 --> 00:23:54,466
and technique of the craftsman
creating them.
325
00:23:58,371 --> 00:24:00,250
Han's work really
reflected the processes
326
00:24:00,274 --> 00:24:04,587
of making terracotta warriors
2,000 years ago.
327
00:24:04,611 --> 00:24:09,025
(speaking Mandarin)
328
00:24:09,049 --> 00:24:12,262
Yes, so, it normally takes
three days for Han to carve,
329
00:24:12,286 --> 00:24:15,453
you know, the details.
330
00:24:17,190 --> 00:24:20,670
NARRATOR: Even today the
individual style of the craftsman
331
00:24:20,694 --> 00:24:23,806
clearly shows up in his work.
332
00:24:23,830 --> 00:24:25,175
MARTINON-TORRES: Mr. Han's ears.
333
00:24:25,199 --> 00:24:26,409
LI: Yeah.
334
00:24:26,433 --> 00:24:29,334
It's really big
ear lobes there, yeah.
335
00:24:31,270 --> 00:24:34,584
NARRATOR: But years of
careful restoration, preservation
336
00:24:34,608 --> 00:24:38,922
and analysis have given rise to
clues that the Terracotta Army
337
00:24:38,946 --> 00:24:42,881
was originally quite different
from what we see today.
338
00:24:48,454 --> 00:24:51,034
Flakes of bright pigments
still cling to the surfaces
339
00:24:51,058 --> 00:24:55,405
of torsos, hands and heads,
340
00:24:55,429 --> 00:25:02,045
showing the warriors
were once highly decorated
341
00:25:02,069 --> 00:25:06,671
and suggesting a colorful, even
gaudy array when first created.
342
00:25:23,456 --> 00:25:26,002
We can now see how the warriors
may have looked
343
00:25:26,026 --> 00:25:28,927
over 2,200 years ago.
344
00:25:31,764 --> 00:25:35,445
A dazzling display of colors,
with painted figures
345
00:25:35,469 --> 00:25:38,548
and ornate chariots,
346
00:25:38,572 --> 00:25:42,507
all fully armed and intimidating.
347
00:25:49,949 --> 00:25:52,996
But were they carrying sharpened
war-grade weapons
348
00:25:53,020 --> 00:25:56,399
or merely symbolic
representations?
349
00:25:56,423 --> 00:25:59,469
After the wooden parts
rotted away,
350
00:25:59,493 --> 00:26:02,272
all that was left on the floor
351
00:26:02,296 --> 00:26:05,597
are the bronze weapons once
placed in the warriors' hands.
352
00:26:20,146 --> 00:26:22,280
But how were these weapons made?
353
00:26:24,483 --> 00:26:25,983
And how were they used?
354
00:26:28,688 --> 00:26:32,602
To analyze them, Janice Li
is creating silicon casts
355
00:26:32,626 --> 00:26:35,905
of the ancient weapons,
356
00:26:35,929 --> 00:26:39,531
using a technique originally
developed for dentists.
357
00:26:44,704 --> 00:26:46,082
LI: We use this silicon mold
358
00:26:46,106 --> 00:26:49,407
to get very clear impression
on the surface.
359
00:26:50,776 --> 00:26:52,822
NARRATOR: By putting
the silicon impression
360
00:26:52,846 --> 00:26:55,124
under a scanning
electron microscope,
361
00:26:55,148 --> 00:26:58,695
Janice Li avoids any damage
to the original weapon
362
00:26:58,719 --> 00:27:02,420
and can examine the blades
in extreme close-up.
363
00:27:04,023 --> 00:27:06,858
The screen is filled
by a tiny section of the blade.
364
00:27:08,227 --> 00:27:13,242
The marks show it was originally
sharp and still is today.
365
00:27:13,266 --> 00:27:19,082
LI: These parallel fine marks
show this really massive effort
366
00:27:19,106 --> 00:27:23,419
for sharpening these functional
lethal weapons.
367
00:27:23,443 --> 00:27:25,288
MARTINON-TORRES: So consistent.
368
00:27:25,312 --> 00:27:27,423
You cannot do these by hand.
369
00:27:27,447 --> 00:27:30,426
Every one of the 40,000
arrowheads was sharpened
370
00:27:30,450 --> 00:27:32,495
by somebody on a wheel.
371
00:27:32,519 --> 00:27:36,499
NARRATOR: The identical parallel
lines on so many weapons show
372
00:27:36,523 --> 00:27:40,903
this is mechanical sharpening
on an industrial scale.
373
00:27:40,927 --> 00:27:44,829
Only one type of machine could
make these fine, even lines...
374
00:27:52,304 --> 00:27:55,651
a rotary lathe that uses
a spinning stone
375
00:27:55,675 --> 00:27:57,976
to sharpen blades.
376
00:28:00,913 --> 00:28:03,259
All the swords, all the lances,
all the halberds,
377
00:28:03,283 --> 00:28:05,161
and every one
of the 40, 000 arrowheads
378
00:28:05,185 --> 00:28:09,132
have been sharpened
in the same way.
379
00:28:09,156 --> 00:28:13,669
NARRATOR: Combat damages
the edges of bronze weapons.
380
00:28:13,693 --> 00:28:17,774
But the Terracotta Army ones
are unmarked.
381
00:28:17,798 --> 00:28:21,325
MARTINON-TORRES: There's no sign
whatsoever of them having been used.
382
00:28:24,670 --> 00:28:27,817
These are freshly made weapons
delivered directly
383
00:28:27,841 --> 00:28:29,652
to the Terracotta Army.
384
00:28:29,676 --> 00:28:33,456
I think it's obvious
these are not representations
385
00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,024
for religious purposes.
386
00:28:35,048 --> 00:28:38,183
These are real lethal weapons
made to kill.
387
00:28:40,453 --> 00:28:44,434
NARRATOR: This is the earliest
evidence of rotary lathes being used
388
00:28:44,458 --> 00:28:47,270
for sharpening weapons
on an industrial scale
389
00:28:47,294 --> 00:28:49,372
anywhere in the world.
390
00:28:49,396 --> 00:28:50,373
They're really well done.
391
00:28:50,397 --> 00:28:51,574
This is fantastic.
392
00:28:51,598 --> 00:28:52,809
I think we are onto
something exciting.
393
00:28:52,833 --> 00:28:54,333
Yes.
394
00:28:58,504 --> 00:29:02,018
NARRATOR: So the
Terracotta Army was fully armed.
395
00:29:02,042 --> 00:29:06,923
The heavy infantry carried
the deadly "G" or halberd.
396
00:29:06,947 --> 00:29:08,847
Some were over six feet long.
397
00:29:11,016 --> 00:29:14,263
Military historian Mike Loades
demonstrates
398
00:29:14,287 --> 00:29:17,733
how it was
a highly flexible weapon
399
00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:20,536
and the Qin army's best defense
400
00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,695
against their greatest foe...
cavalry.
401
00:29:30,870 --> 00:29:35,051
A major threat to all
Chinese armies of all states
402
00:29:35,075 --> 00:29:36,575
was cavalry...
403
00:29:37,676 --> 00:29:40,623
both horsemen and charioteers.
404
00:29:40,647 --> 00:29:44,115
And the principal defense
against them was the halberd.
405
00:29:54,994 --> 00:29:56,494
Whoa.
406
00:29:58,564 --> 00:30:01,611
Now obviously I had to stop
the horse there
407
00:30:01,635 --> 00:30:03,846
or he would have impaled himself
on the spear
408
00:30:03,870 --> 00:30:07,283
and that's really the first
function of the halberd.
409
00:30:07,307 --> 00:30:09,485
And you'll see it's got
this cross piece,
410
00:30:09,509 --> 00:30:13,856
this transverse bar,
so if I had gone hurtling
411
00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:15,858
into a line of halberds,
this would have skewered
412
00:30:15,882 --> 00:30:18,327
the poor horse here,
but it would have stopped,
413
00:30:18,351 --> 00:30:21,230
so the halberdier himself
doesn't get trampled.
414
00:30:21,254 --> 00:30:25,001
He can also use the spike
to take out the horse's legs.
415
00:30:25,025 --> 00:30:28,571
But what if the animal gets past
the point of the halberds
416
00:30:28,595 --> 00:30:31,607
and I'm coming in with a lance?
417
00:30:31,631 --> 00:30:37,013
He could use his halberd to lift
the point so that it's done that
418
00:30:37,037 --> 00:30:41,484
and that's pushed it onto
my throat and he has pushed me
419
00:30:41,508 --> 00:30:44,409
and where he can obviously
be quickly dispatched.
420
00:30:49,281 --> 00:30:52,061
NARRATOR: As well as the halberd,
421
00:30:52,085 --> 00:30:55,431
the Qin deployed a range
of bronze weapons,
422
00:30:55,455 --> 00:30:59,557
including spears, lances
and long swords.
423
00:31:01,260 --> 00:31:04,240
But the ancient Chinese
led the world
424
00:31:04,264 --> 00:31:08,366
in one particular branch
of warfare: Archery.
425
00:31:10,703 --> 00:31:14,617
A variety of pre-Qin sources
show the Chinese invented
426
00:31:14,641 --> 00:31:18,142
the crossbow centuries
before the first emperor.
427
00:31:20,045 --> 00:31:23,459
But how and why did it evolve
to become
428
00:31:23,483 --> 00:31:28,030
the most effective
offensive weapon of the age?
429
00:31:28,054 --> 00:31:32,868
LOADES: The Chinese
battlefield was full of arrow storms.
430
00:31:32,892 --> 00:31:35,705
Storm after storm of arrows.
431
00:31:35,729 --> 00:31:38,240
But that takes skill
and training.
432
00:31:38,264 --> 00:31:41,877
How could you do that with an
army full of peasant conscripts
433
00:31:41,901 --> 00:31:43,613
that were there for a few months?
434
00:31:43,637 --> 00:31:46,048
Well, the answer was
in the Chinese crossbow.
435
00:31:46,072 --> 00:31:50,620
Just a simple stock of wood
easily mounts any bow,
436
00:31:50,644 --> 00:31:52,254
so the bow is already made.
437
00:31:52,278 --> 00:31:56,192
It fits onto there and just
with putting a cross piece
438
00:31:56,216 --> 00:31:59,050
in there you could lash that
into position.
439
00:32:00,185 --> 00:32:02,365
NARRATOR: None survive.
440
00:32:02,389 --> 00:32:05,368
This is a working replica.
441
00:32:05,392 --> 00:32:09,005
Its importance is shown by the
ranks of terracotta archers,
442
00:32:09,029 --> 00:32:11,863
armed with crossbows
and ready for battle.
443
00:32:14,767 --> 00:32:17,013
But all that is left
of the Qin crossbows
444
00:32:17,037 --> 00:32:18,914
after the wooden parts
have rotted away
445
00:32:18,938 --> 00:32:26,022
are clusters of strange bronze
objects found in the pits.
446
00:32:26,046 --> 00:32:27,523
This is a bronze
crossbow trigger,
447
00:32:27,547 --> 00:32:30,626
one of the most sophisticated
448
00:32:30,650 --> 00:32:34,296
three-dimensional engineering
mechanisms of ancient times.
449
00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:35,631
NARRATOR: They were mass-produced
450
00:32:35,655 --> 00:32:38,868
with all the parts made to fit
together precisely
451
00:32:38,892 --> 00:32:42,304
as historians
of the day recorded.
452
00:32:42,328 --> 00:32:45,508
MARTINON-TORRES: The annals
of Liu Wai who date to around the time
453
00:32:45,532 --> 00:32:46,842
of the first emperor,
454
00:32:46,866 --> 00:32:49,145
claim that if there's
any misalignment
455
00:32:49,169 --> 00:32:52,537
in the parts of a trigger,
it will not function.
456
00:33:03,615 --> 00:33:06,696
NARRATOR: Using a replica,
Mike Loades demonstrates
457
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:08,220
the design of the trigger.
458
00:33:12,324 --> 00:33:14,804
The real genius was the trigger.
459
00:33:14,828 --> 00:33:17,773
The bronze, the cast bronze
trigger, produced
460
00:33:17,797 --> 00:33:21,444
to a standardized form
in their hundreds of thousands.
461
00:33:21,468 --> 00:33:25,581
So it's got its very simple
interchangeable component parts.
462
00:33:25,605 --> 00:33:29,418
It comes apart very easily, and
it goes together very easily,
463
00:33:29,442 --> 00:33:36,092
and this whole assembly just
drops into a pre-carved slot
464
00:33:36,116 --> 00:33:40,763
in the bow, and you have got
a bow ready to shoot.
465
00:33:40,787 --> 00:33:46,535
NARRATOR: The trigger locks
tightly and can securely hold...
466
00:33:46,559 --> 00:33:49,827
And smoothly release...
The power of the bow.
467
00:33:52,598 --> 00:33:55,878
LOADES: It is an ingenious
bit of mass-produced,
468
00:33:55,902 --> 00:33:57,587
standardized military equipment.
469
00:34:03,175 --> 00:34:08,012
NARRATOR: But any crossbow
is only as deadly as its arrows.
470
00:34:09,214 --> 00:34:14,263
Over 40,000 arrowheads have been
excavated from the pits.
471
00:34:14,287 --> 00:34:18,189
This is just one bundle of 100,
a quiverful...
472
00:34:20,793 --> 00:34:23,461
discovered here in the middle
of Pit One.
473
00:34:27,332 --> 00:34:29,578
So what were these arrowheads
made of?
474
00:34:29,602 --> 00:34:34,784
A portable X-ray fluorescent
spectrometer is used to explore
475
00:34:34,808 --> 00:34:36,674
the details of Qin metalworking.
476
00:34:40,546 --> 00:34:42,057
This is today
the simplest, fastest,
477
00:34:42,081 --> 00:34:44,593
even cheapest way we have
of determining
478
00:34:44,617 --> 00:34:46,562
the chemical composition
of something.
479
00:34:46,586 --> 00:34:48,664
It's only recently that
we are beginning to use it
480
00:34:48,688 --> 00:34:51,700
archaeology, bringing about
a revolution in the way
481
00:34:51,724 --> 00:34:54,069
we can characterize materials.
482
00:34:54,093 --> 00:34:56,539
NARRATOR: It shows the
Terracotta Army's weapons
483
00:34:56,563 --> 00:35:00,109
are nearly all made from bronze,
484
00:35:00,133 --> 00:35:04,446
an alloy that's a mixture
of copper, lead and tin.
485
00:35:04,470 --> 00:35:08,818
At first the researchers assume
that every part of the arrow
486
00:35:08,842 --> 00:35:11,387
will be a single blend of bronze.
487
00:35:11,411 --> 00:35:14,190
MARTINON-TORRES:
This is telling us the recipe
488
00:35:14,214 --> 00:35:15,691
that the weapon makers had
489
00:35:15,715 --> 00:35:18,594
for each of the parts
of their weapons.
490
00:35:18,618 --> 00:35:22,298
There's the head proper
and then what we call the tang,
491
00:35:22,322 --> 00:35:26,468
which would be inserted
in the longer bamboo shaft.
492
00:35:26,492 --> 00:35:31,974
The tang contains 3% tin, 1%
lead, and the rest is copper.
493
00:35:31,998 --> 00:35:34,476
So it tells us that this is
a bronze
494
00:35:34,500 --> 00:35:37,479
with relatively low amounts
of lead and tin.
495
00:35:37,503 --> 00:35:39,537
We can now turn it over.
496
00:35:42,007 --> 00:35:45,454
We can immediately see
a relatively high tin content
497
00:35:45,478 --> 00:35:46,989
that's around 20%.
498
00:35:47,013 --> 00:35:49,758
This is an alloy that we know
would be extremely hard.
499
00:35:49,782 --> 00:35:54,563
NARRATOR: More tin makes
for a harder, sharper arrowhead.
500
00:35:54,587 --> 00:35:57,499
But less tin makes the tang
more flexible
501
00:35:57,523 --> 00:36:00,424
and less likely to snap.
502
00:36:04,730 --> 00:36:07,042
MARTINON-TORRES: When you
only have bronze, you cannot make
503
00:36:07,066 --> 00:36:09,845
a better arrowhead than this.
504
00:36:09,869 --> 00:36:12,681
This is as good as a bronze
weapon is going to get.
505
00:36:12,705 --> 00:36:16,085
NARRATOR: So they used
two different alloys of bronze
506
00:36:16,109 --> 00:36:19,221
in one fused section
of the weapon:
507
00:36:19,245 --> 00:36:22,157
The arrowhead and the tang,
508
00:36:22,181 --> 00:36:25,327
the part connecting
the arrowhead to the shaft.
509
00:36:25,351 --> 00:36:28,063
But how?
510
00:36:28,087 --> 00:36:31,800
Master forger Andy Lacey
is experimenting,
511
00:36:31,824 --> 00:36:35,070
trying to reproduce the casting
techniques developed in China
512
00:36:35,094 --> 00:36:38,974
over 2,000 years ago.
513
00:36:38,998 --> 00:36:41,477
You have your tang pre-cast,
already exists.
514
00:36:41,501 --> 00:36:44,079
You just insert it into the mold.
515
00:36:44,103 --> 00:36:47,016
You can see that it sits within
the space that's the arrowhead,
516
00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:53,088
and then... and put the top part
on and clamp it together.
517
00:36:53,112 --> 00:36:55,491
Then you see the tang just
sticks out there and that's
518
00:36:55,515 --> 00:36:57,782
the funnel that would take
the metal in.
519
00:37:11,463 --> 00:37:13,575
It's got these two components
beautifully together.
520
00:37:13,599 --> 00:37:15,311
MARTINON-TORRES:
Yeah, that's the important thing.
521
00:37:15,335 --> 00:37:16,912
And it's welded on very tightly.
522
00:37:16,936 --> 00:37:18,436
Very tightly.
523
00:37:19,604 --> 00:37:22,184
NARRATOR: Joining the
two bronze alloys reveals
524
00:37:22,208 --> 00:37:24,653
the Qin's impressive
technical sophistication
525
00:37:24,677 --> 00:37:28,490
and innovative production skills.
526
00:37:28,514 --> 00:37:31,593
But only a test can show
if the replica arrowheads
527
00:37:31,617 --> 00:37:34,352
perform in practice.
528
00:37:35,687 --> 00:37:38,667
Ancient Chinese sources
give clues to how the bows
529
00:37:38,691 --> 00:37:40,591
that shot them were loaded.
530
00:37:43,195 --> 00:37:46,675
We have some evidence
that the Qin laid on their backs
531
00:37:46,699 --> 00:37:49,278
to span their bows.
532
00:37:49,302 --> 00:37:51,080
That would suggest
pretty powerful bows
533
00:37:51,104 --> 00:37:54,049
of about 200 pounds,
which is more powerful
534
00:37:54,073 --> 00:37:57,419
than a hand bow is going to be.
535
00:37:57,443 --> 00:38:00,289
NARRATOR: Mike's demonstration
bow replicates the mechanism
536
00:38:00,313 --> 00:38:03,625
of an authentic Qin bow,
537
00:38:03,649 --> 00:38:06,550
but only creates a quarter
of the force.
538
00:38:11,957 --> 00:38:15,971
LOADES: And we're now shooting
with more than four times the power.
539
00:38:15,995 --> 00:38:19,008
NARRATOR: To test the replica
arrows to the limit, he's using
540
00:38:19,032 --> 00:38:22,111
a modern bow
with a 200-pound draw weight
541
00:38:22,135 --> 00:38:24,135
of the original Qin bows.
542
00:38:26,805 --> 00:38:29,707
It's devastating against
ballistic gel.
543
00:38:32,611 --> 00:38:35,624
But how will it fare
against Chinese armor?
544
00:38:35,648 --> 00:38:39,361
This is the level of armor
that an arrow has to defeat.
545
00:38:39,385 --> 00:38:41,030
It's lamellar armor.
546
00:38:41,054 --> 00:38:44,433
That means you've got scales,
which overlap each other,
547
00:38:44,457 --> 00:38:48,137
and then behind that
is soft textile armor.
548
00:38:48,161 --> 00:38:50,506
And you can see
on the Terracotta Warriors
549
00:38:50,530 --> 00:38:53,409
they're wearing quite bulky
clothing, and armor is
550
00:38:53,433 --> 00:38:58,047
a composite defense of hard
exterior with soft padding,
551
00:38:58,071 --> 00:39:00,749
and they've probably got
felt coats under that.
552
00:39:00,773 --> 00:39:03,786
Deep inside here is a piece
of pork to represent
553
00:39:03,810 --> 00:39:06,221
the human being inside.
554
00:39:06,245 --> 00:39:08,824
So that's the challenge
an arrowhead has...
555
00:39:08,848 --> 00:39:12,616
Delivering that crucial thump
to the target.
556
00:39:15,187 --> 00:39:16,687
Safety off.
557
00:39:20,559 --> 00:39:22,004
Well, it's stuck in.
558
00:39:22,028 --> 00:39:23,928
It's done something.
559
00:39:26,264 --> 00:39:28,210
By God and it's gone right
through the pork.
560
00:39:28,234 --> 00:39:29,878
That is a dead enemy.
561
00:39:29,902 --> 00:39:31,814
It's actually gone right through
562
00:39:31,838 --> 00:39:33,315
and it's come out
the other side...
563
00:39:33,339 --> 00:39:34,516
Through the pork,
564
00:39:34,540 --> 00:39:37,820
through three layers
of hardened leather,
565
00:39:37,844 --> 00:39:41,223
through multiple layers
of gathered silk,
566
00:39:41,247 --> 00:39:42,891
through a thick piece of felt,
567
00:39:42,915 --> 00:39:48,464
through a side of pork, and here
it is out the other side.
568
00:39:48,488 --> 00:39:52,389
NARRATOR: The Qin used
the crossbow to powerful effect.
569
00:39:55,794 --> 00:40:00,742
In 223 B.C., the Qin faced
the vast Chu army on the banks
570
00:40:00,766 --> 00:40:03,612
of the Yangtze River.
571
00:40:03,636 --> 00:40:06,315
The Qin tricked them
and then attacked
572
00:40:06,339 --> 00:40:09,039
with their devastating archers.
573
00:40:17,315 --> 00:40:19,194
This seemingly simple mechanism
574
00:40:19,218 --> 00:40:22,353
is two millennia
ahead of its time.
575
00:40:26,324 --> 00:40:30,339
NARRATOR: It would take over
1,500 years for European crossbows
576
00:40:30,363 --> 00:40:33,809
to surpass the Chinese ones
in power,
577
00:40:33,833 --> 00:40:37,246
and only then with cumbersome
levers and pulleys,
578
00:40:37,270 --> 00:40:41,238
making them far slower to use
and difficult to master.
579
00:40:46,478 --> 00:40:49,725
LOADES: You can learn to
use this in less than two minutes,
580
00:40:49,749 --> 00:40:53,629
and it enabled a peasant army
to be converted
581
00:40:53,653 --> 00:40:56,053
into state-of-the-art troops.
582
00:40:58,156 --> 00:41:01,603
NARRATOR: The Qin army had
become so well organized and equipped,
583
00:41:01,627 --> 00:41:06,530
it conquered all its rivals
and ended two centuries of war.
584
00:41:08,667 --> 00:41:13,137
The Qin leader now ruled
all China as the first emperor.
585
00:41:17,008 --> 00:41:20,322
The historian Sima Qian,
writing a century later
586
00:41:20,346 --> 00:41:23,025
from the prospective
of a succeeding dynasty,
587
00:41:23,049 --> 00:41:27,296
describes a frenzy
of book burning.
588
00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,165
JONATHAN CLEMENTS: All of the
books in his kingdom were destroyed,
589
00:41:30,189 --> 00:41:31,466
possibly thousands
590
00:41:31,490 --> 00:41:33,135
of Chinese documents
that we'll never get back.
591
00:41:33,159 --> 00:41:35,971
A terrible cataclysm
for Chinese history
592
00:41:35,995 --> 00:41:38,507
and for Chinese historians.
593
00:41:38,531 --> 00:41:40,709
NARRATOR:
It was, according to Sima Qian,
594
00:41:40,733 --> 00:41:44,479
a descent into complete tyranny
595
00:41:44,503 --> 00:41:48,872
as 700,000 workers were forced
to expand the tomb complex.
596
00:41:52,477 --> 00:41:56,158
On the far western edge
of the site, chilling evidence
597
00:41:56,182 --> 00:41:58,660
has revealed the dark secret
behind the making
598
00:41:58,684 --> 00:42:00,317
of the Terracotta Army.
599
00:42:03,154 --> 00:42:07,135
Janice Li is heading
into the orchards...
600
00:42:07,159 --> 00:42:11,306
(speaking Mandarin)
601
00:42:11,330 --> 00:42:14,876
Where mass graves
have been excavated,
602
00:42:14,900 --> 00:42:18,013
filled with the bodies
of workers,
603
00:42:18,037 --> 00:42:20,337
including women and children.
604
00:42:23,308 --> 00:42:27,656
Worn down by the relentless toil.
605
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:31,059
Archaeologists also found
leg and neck irons,
606
00:42:31,083 --> 00:42:35,864
while Sima Qian refers to some
workers as convicts
607
00:42:35,888 --> 00:42:37,888
and men condemned to castration.
608
00:42:40,292 --> 00:42:44,039
The all-controlling Qin
bureaucracy gave each body
609
00:42:44,063 --> 00:42:47,609
an inscribed death certificate
or dog tag.
610
00:42:47,633 --> 00:42:53,682
Each is a moving testimony to an
individual story of hard labor.
611
00:42:53,706 --> 00:42:55,817
LI: Bu Geng Jiu
612
00:42:55,841 --> 00:42:57,919
is the builder's name.
613
00:42:57,943 --> 00:43:03,058
(speaks Mandarin) means like he
owed the government money.
614
00:43:03,082 --> 00:43:07,696
So he needs to work here instead
of paying off the money
615
00:43:07,720 --> 00:43:09,220
to the government.
616
00:43:10,488 --> 00:43:14,136
NARRATOR: The story of
worker Bu Geng Jiu is typical.
617
00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:17,939
He was forced to work because
he couldn't pay a crippling debt
618
00:43:17,963 --> 00:43:19,863
he owed the government.
619
00:43:23,435 --> 00:43:27,616
It was this forced labor
that enabled the Qin to create
620
00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:31,320
the Chinese empire.
621
00:43:31,344 --> 00:43:36,525
Protected with the earliest
stages of the Great Wall,
622
00:43:36,549 --> 00:43:40,562
connected with intercity highways
623
00:43:40,586 --> 00:43:46,501
and irrigated with networks
of canals and locks.
624
00:43:46,525 --> 00:43:51,073
Conscripted laborers and slaves
also assisted skilled artisans
625
00:43:51,097 --> 00:43:54,698
in making the 8,000
Terracotta Warriors.
626
00:43:57,135 --> 00:44:01,283
But how did the Qin do it all
on such a vast scale
627
00:44:01,307 --> 00:44:04,208
and with such attention
to detail?
628
00:44:07,879 --> 00:44:11,927
The careful study of both
the figures and the weapons
629
00:44:11,951 --> 00:44:15,630
now enables us to understand
how the workforce was organized
630
00:44:15,654 --> 00:44:18,266
and controlled.
631
00:44:18,290 --> 00:44:21,470
Inscriptions on the warriors
reveal who made them.
632
00:44:21,494 --> 00:44:24,873
They were built by groups,
or cells,
633
00:44:24,897 --> 00:44:28,210
led by 92 master craftsmen,
634
00:44:28,234 --> 00:44:30,498
each probably controlling
about ten workers.
635
00:44:34,506 --> 00:44:38,308
These cells came from the palace
factories or local workshops.
636
00:44:41,146 --> 00:44:43,725
And the weapons also provide
evidence
637
00:44:43,749 --> 00:44:47,251
of this highly productive and
tightly controlled organization.
638
00:44:49,220 --> 00:44:50,298
MARTINON-TORRES:
We have hundreds,
639
00:44:50,322 --> 00:44:52,367
thousands of weapons here,
640
00:44:52,391 --> 00:44:56,138
but we want to find out
how that was achieved.
641
00:44:56,162 --> 00:44:58,440
How is it that they could
produce so many weapons
642
00:44:58,464 --> 00:45:01,309
in such a relatively
short period?
643
00:45:01,333 --> 00:45:07,149
NARRATOR: To help answer this,
Janice Li has meticulously plotted
644
00:45:07,173 --> 00:45:11,386
all the armaments
found in Pit One.
645
00:45:11,410 --> 00:45:15,590
LI: This is the map of all these
bronze weapons discovered
646
00:45:15,614 --> 00:45:17,826
in the east part of Pit One.
647
00:45:17,850 --> 00:45:21,463
So, like the red one showed
the bronze triggers,
648
00:45:21,487 --> 00:45:23,532
crossbow triggers,
discovered in the pit,
649
00:45:23,556 --> 00:45:29,371
and the black dots represent
the arrow bounders.
650
00:45:29,395 --> 00:45:32,674
NARRATOR: The plots are
then compared with the analysis
651
00:45:32,698 --> 00:45:35,977
of the metal content
of the arrowheads.
652
00:45:36,001 --> 00:45:38,413
LI: This group really
are very different from...
653
00:45:38,437 --> 00:45:39,815
MARTINON-TORRES: Yes.
654
00:45:39,839 --> 00:45:42,617
NARRATOR: And the
precise shape of the triggers.
655
00:45:42,641 --> 00:45:46,188
This reveals that the triggers
fall into distinctive groups,
656
00:45:46,212 --> 00:45:48,912
defined by their
characteristic shapes.
657
00:45:51,783 --> 00:45:56,031
For example, this hanging knife
here is curved at this corner.
658
00:45:56,055 --> 00:46:00,936
This other one here
ends at an angle.
659
00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:03,839
NARRATOR: The plots of the
armaments in Pit One identified
660
00:46:03,863 --> 00:46:06,964
several distinct batches
of triggers.
661
00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:10,579
All the trigger
combinations located
662
00:46:10,603 --> 00:46:12,714
in the top northeast corner
663
00:46:12,738 --> 00:46:17,752
are identical in size,
bronze content and design,
664
00:46:17,776 --> 00:46:22,290
suggesting they were made
by the same cell of workers,
665
00:46:22,314 --> 00:46:26,495
while this set of triggers
is different,
666
00:46:26,519 --> 00:46:29,419
showing it was made
by another cell of workers.
667
00:46:38,029 --> 00:46:39,808
This is a series of cells
working individually
668
00:46:39,832 --> 00:46:41,398
to create these metal weapon.
669
00:46:43,334 --> 00:46:46,381
MARTINON-TORRES: All of this
requires a very versatile workforce
670
00:46:46,405 --> 00:46:51,019
that can produce a sword today,
a crossbow tomorrow,
671
00:46:51,043 --> 00:46:52,988
a halberd the day after,
672
00:46:53,012 --> 00:46:56,057
depending on what's needed
as the work moves forward.
673
00:46:56,081 --> 00:47:01,129
NARRATOR: The worker cells
were trained to be not onlyroductive,
674
00:47:01,153 --> 00:47:04,266
but versatile.
675
00:47:04,290 --> 00:47:07,202
I think this production model
holds the key to understand
676
00:47:07,226 --> 00:47:11,907
how it was possible to produce
something so colossal, so big,
677
00:47:11,931 --> 00:47:16,278
but also so sophisticated in
a time window maximum 40 years,
678
00:47:16,302 --> 00:47:17,802
quite possibly less.
679
00:47:18,937 --> 00:47:21,182
NARRATOR: Janice Li has
also found crucial evidence
680
00:47:21,206 --> 00:47:24,119
about how the workers were
organized
681
00:47:24,143 --> 00:47:28,323
by decoding inscriptions
chiseled into their weapons.
682
00:47:28,347 --> 00:47:31,226
They reveal a structure
of strict supervision,
683
00:47:31,250 --> 00:47:35,397
where all the workers
had to record their names.
684
00:47:35,421 --> 00:47:39,401
MARTINON-TORRES: We can see
individual workers working on different years
685
00:47:39,425 --> 00:47:41,202
of the reign of Qin;
686
00:47:41,226 --> 00:47:42,571
Above them, the craftsmen,
687
00:47:42,595 --> 00:47:44,639
foremen that will
be working with them;
688
00:47:44,663 --> 00:47:45,774
The officials;
689
00:47:45,798 --> 00:47:49,210
And then, on top of all,
Lu Buwei,
690
00:47:49,234 --> 00:47:52,182
who was then the prime minister
or the chancellor of Qin.
691
00:47:53,771 --> 00:47:56,685
NARRATOR: The craftsmen at
the bottom had to sign their names
692
00:47:56,709 --> 00:48:00,188
so any substandard work
could easily be traced.
693
00:48:00,212 --> 00:48:05,360
MARTINON-TORRES: Sometimes
people referred to this supervisory system
694
00:48:05,384 --> 00:48:08,463
for quality control
as a carrot-and-stick system.
695
00:48:08,487 --> 00:48:11,733
If something was wrong with
a particular weapon that didn't
696
00:48:11,757 --> 00:48:14,936
fit the standard, then one could
identify worker Jing
697
00:48:14,960 --> 00:48:20,075
in particular and make him
accountable for his error.
698
00:48:20,099 --> 00:48:23,612
NARRATOR: Everything had to
be perfect for an immortal army,
699
00:48:23,636 --> 00:48:25,847
created to defend
the first emperor
700
00:48:25,871 --> 00:48:27,371
in his perpetual afterlife.
701
00:48:30,575 --> 00:48:32,943
And perfection was achieved
through fear.
702
00:48:37,215 --> 00:48:40,195
Some recently discovered
Qin legal codes detail
703
00:48:40,219 --> 00:48:43,632
a harsh system,
where even minor crimes
704
00:48:43,656 --> 00:48:45,455
had terrible consequences.
705
00:48:49,894 --> 00:48:51,373
CLEMENTS: The state of Qin
706
00:48:51,397 --> 00:48:54,609
didn't just define things like
theft and murder as crimes.
707
00:48:54,633 --> 00:48:56,811
Incompetence was also a crime,
708
00:48:56,835 --> 00:49:00,982
so not meeting a particular
standard of workmanship
709
00:49:01,006 --> 00:49:04,252
would also have been met
with savage punishment.
710
00:49:04,276 --> 00:49:07,222
Maimings, you have tortures,
you have executions.
711
00:49:07,246 --> 00:49:11,159
NARRATOR: This was all part
of the system the Qin had created
712
00:49:11,183 --> 00:49:14,829
to rule every aspect of life
in the empire.
713
00:49:14,853 --> 00:49:17,521
It was called legalism.
714
00:49:23,528 --> 00:49:28,376
The grand historian
Sima Qian describes a society
715
00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:31,112
organized into small groups,
716
00:49:31,136 --> 00:49:35,105
each person responsible
for the others' behavior.
717
00:49:38,609 --> 00:49:41,423
CLEMENTS:
Every unit of five or ten houses
718
00:49:41,447 --> 00:49:43,391
was obliged to report
on each other.
719
00:49:43,415 --> 00:49:45,427
If anyone committed a crime
within your cell
720
00:49:45,451 --> 00:49:48,096
and you didn't report it, the
entire cell would be punished.
721
00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:51,833
It's very likely that just
as the army and society
722
00:49:51,857 --> 00:49:54,335
was divided up
in this cellular way,
723
00:49:54,359 --> 00:49:57,972
that the artisans, the
blacksmiths and the potters
724
00:49:57,996 --> 00:50:00,964
of the Qin world also worked
on very similar lines.
725
00:50:02,567 --> 00:50:08,116
It creates a vicious,
brutal society of people
726
00:50:08,140 --> 00:50:12,142
informing on each other,
and everyone was terrified.
727
00:50:16,347 --> 00:50:19,494
NARRATOR: All the evidence shows
that the Qin deployed small groups
728
00:50:19,518 --> 00:50:23,565
of skilled workers capable
of mass-producing
729
00:50:23,589 --> 00:50:27,190
both weapons
and individualized figures.
730
00:50:30,128 --> 00:50:33,742
They were controlled by a rigid
system of incentives
731
00:50:33,766 --> 00:50:36,666
and punishments.
732
00:50:47,445 --> 00:50:53,194
In 210 B.C., 11 years after
he conquered all his neighbors,
733
00:50:53,218 --> 00:50:56,119
the first emperor died.
734
00:51:01,826 --> 00:51:06,674
Sima Qian records he was buried
in a bronze coffin
735
00:51:06,698 --> 00:51:11,479
surrounded by rivers of mercury,
736
00:51:11,503 --> 00:51:14,838
laid out in a map of the empire.
737
00:51:16,607 --> 00:51:20,355
His tomb mound has
never been excavated.
738
00:51:20,379 --> 00:51:25,382
But the Terracotta Army opened
the door to a lost world.
739
00:51:27,151 --> 00:51:30,865
This massive site stands
as testimony to the ingenuity
740
00:51:30,889 --> 00:51:34,791
and ruthlessness of the ancient
Qin civilization.
741
00:51:41,899 --> 00:51:44,679
Its pioneering system
of flexible manufacturing,
742
00:51:44,703 --> 00:51:49,150
combined with authoritarian
rule, allowed it to create
743
00:51:49,174 --> 00:51:53,076
the eternal wonder
of the Terracotta Army.
744
00:51:55,813 --> 00:51:58,193
This remarkable discovery
gives a glimpse
745
00:51:58,217 --> 00:52:02,530
into how one small state
created a vast empire,
746
00:52:02,554 --> 00:52:07,502
perhaps foreshadowing the rise
of a sup
747
00:52:07,526 --> 00:52:10,427
modern China.
748
00:52:24,809 --> 00:52:28,678
Landslides: devastating
killers.ess GH access.wgbh.org.
749
00:52:39,190 --> 00:52:41,803
This NOVA program
is available on DVD.
750
00:52:41,827 --> 00:52:47,075
To order, visit shopPBS.org
or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
751
00:52:47,099 --> 00:52:49,699
NOVA is also available
for download on iTunes.