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Some terracotta warriors just teenagers
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-14 07:57
XI'AN: Beardless warriors have been discovered among China's terracotta army, providing evidence that some of the soldiers were teenagers when the statues were created more than 2,000 years ago. "Some warriors have no beards, but for ancient Chinese, facial hair was part of the culture, so those warriors could be considered to represent soldiers younger than 17 years old," said Yuan Zhongyi, honorary curator of the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. At the time of Qin Shihuang (259 BC-210 BC), first emperor of a united China from 221 BC, beards were signs of status, and adult men without beards were considered social outcasts, Yuan said. Cutting off the beard was a punishment for criminals, he said. Each terracotta warrior has a unique face and expression and most have beards, Yuan said. Fewer than 10 of the more than 1,000 warriors discovered have no beards. "Many warriors have lost their vivid facial expressions over time, but a young warrior holding a spear in the first pit still looks extremely spirited," he said. Others with sparser beards and baby faces were also considered to be young soldiers. A youth standing warrior pulling a bow in the second pit might be one of the juvenile soldiers, Yuan said. The research was revealed at a commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the discovery of terracotta warriors in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi. It was not usual for ancient Chinese rulers to recruit teenaged soldiers. Historical documents show that in the Changping Battle, in which the kingdom of Qin defeated the kingdom of Zhao, all men older than 15 were recruited, said historian Wang Zijin, of Beijing-based Renmin University of China. The discovery also reflected the power of the Qin kingdom as it could motivate the entire population to defeat six other kingdoms - the Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan and Qi - to unite the country, he said. Zhang Mingqia, secretary-general of Chinese Qin and Han Dynasty History Society, said that later in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the children of dead bodyguards of the emperor were trained to be young warriors as an independent guard troop to ensure the safety of the emperor. Xinhua (China Daily 10/14/2009 page3) |
