Soldiers
Before China was united, each territory had its own military. During the Han Dynasty, China had many wars. China fought against northern enemies. Soldiers used spears and crossbows for weapons. A soldier's age ranged from 23 to 56 years old and they were all obliged to fight for two years. If the soldiers were not fighting, they were assigned as security along the Great Wall or in the cities. Soldiers also worked as guards for the emperors. The first emperor, Shi Huang, was buried with an army of terracotta soldiers around 210 B.C.E. There are an estimated 8,000 in his tomb, along with over 600 horses. Curators and archaeologists began excavation and restoration in 1975, and the soldiers attract many tourists every year. They are life size figures carefully sculpted and painted to look exactly like the warriors did. They are arranged in the battle formations that they used to fight in. The terracotta soldiers are one of the most accurate records that exists of the structure and appearance of China’s ancient military.