Terracotta Army discovery

Scientists analyzed fingerprints pressed into 8,000+ life-size terracotta figures from 2,200 years ago.

“The Terracotta Army is a stunning testament to the power of the ancient Chinese emperors”

Fingerprint findings

45% of prints were left by adult men, 33% by adult women, and 22% by children under 15.

Construction timeline

Built in early third century BC for Qin Shi Huang's afterlife, took over four decades to complete.

Army composition

8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses, and 150 cavalrymen were created in the army.

Previous assumptions

Historically believed that ancient Chinese construction relied almost exclusively on adult male workers.

Research method

Scientists measured fingerprint ridge distances to distinguish between adult women, children, and men.

Statistical approach

Used Bayesian mixture model to analyze 79 fingerprints from 36 warriors for age and sex differences.

Key finding

Artisans included women, children, and adult men working together in state-run workshops.

“The model results indicate that the artisan community was not exclusively composed of adult males”

Limitations

Small sample size from single pit; may not represent full workforce across all pits.

Future research

Scientists plan to expand sampling to other pits and workshops for better workforce understanding.

“Future work should extend fingerprint sampling to other pits and workshops to evaluate spatial and temporal variations in workforce structure”

Historical context

Qin Shi Huang commissioned the army after becoming emperor at age 13 to guard him in afterlife.

Archaeological significance

The army was discovered in 1974 and ongoing excavation since then reveals more details.