Up next in 10
A short 11-minute video on the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, China. The lecture covers: the discovery, excavation problems, scientific techniques in preservation, controversial debates, the ongoing risks, and the Broader significance. This lecture is accompanied with a listening worksheet test.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:05
Good morning everyone. Today we're going
0:07
to explore one of the most extraordinary
0:10
archaeological challenges of the modern
0:12
age. The conservation of the terra cotta
0:16
warriors. These remarkable figures
0:19
buried for over 2,000 years near Shien
0:23
in China were discovered in 1974
0:27
by farmers digging a well.
0:30
Since then, they've fascinated both
0:32
scholars and the general public,
0:35
becoming one of the most iconic
0:37
archaeological finds of the 20th
0:40
century.
0:41
But preserving them has proven to be far
0:44
more difficult than anyone anticipated.
0:48
In this lecture, I'll guide you through
0:51
the circumstances of their discovery,
0:54
the problems that conservators face, the
0:57
scientific techniques they use, the
1:00
debates surrounding restoration,
1:03
the role of international cooperation,
1:06
the ongoing risks that threaten their
1:09
survival, and the significance of
1:12
conserving these artifacts.
1:16
Let's begin with the discovery itself.
1:19
Imagine the scene. Farmers digging in
1:22
dry soil suddenly uncover fragments of
1:24
terra cotta, then the head of a warrior,
1:28
and finally rows of buried soldiers
1:30
stretching far into the earth.
1:33
Archaeologists soon realized they'd
1:35
found part of the moselum of the first
1:38
emperor of China, Chin Shia Huang, who
1:42
unified China in the 3rd century B.C.E.
1:45
meaning before common era.
1:49
Over 8,000 soldiers together with horses
1:52
and chariots were eventually identified,
1:55
arranged in battle formation. Each
1:58
figure was life-sized, carefully
2:01
detailed, and no two faces were exactly
2:04
the same. Most striking of all, many of
2:07
the figures still showed traces of
2:10
brilliant pigments such as reds, blues,
2:13
greens, and purples.
2:15
revealing that the army had once been
2:17
brightly painted.
2:19
This transformed our understanding of
2:22
ancient Chinese art.
2:25
However, there was an immediate problem.
2:28
As soon as the warriors were exposed to
2:30
air, the paint began to flake and
2:33
disappear.
2:35
Within minutes, color that had survived
2:38
underground for over 2,000 years was
2:41
gone forever.
2:44
This brings us to the first great
2:46
conservation challenge, the fragility of
2:49
the warriors. Terra cotta is essentially
2:53
fired clay, which is far less durable
2:56
than stone or bronze. Many of the
2:59
warriors were already broken when
3:02
discovered, crushed by the weight of the
3:04
collapsed roof beams of the underground
3:07
chambers. Others cracked as the soil was
3:11
removed or collapsed entirely into
3:13
fragments.
3:15
Some statues had to be reassembled from
3:18
hundreds of pieces like vast
3:20
three-dimensional puzzles.
3:23
To make matters worse, terra cotta is
3:26
highly sensitive to changes in moisture
3:29
and temperature. Once excavated, the
3:33
warriors were vulnerable to Shian's
3:35
humid summers and cold winters and to
3:38
exposure to light, air, bacteria, and
3:42
mold. Unlike bronze, which corrods
3:46
slowly, terra cotta can deteriorate
3:49
rapidly when its environment shifts.
3:54
So, how have conservators responded?
3:57
One strategy has been to slow down
4:00
excavation. In the early years,
4:03
thousands of warriors were uncovered
4:05
quickly, leading to severe damage.
4:08
Today, archaeologists work much more
4:11
cautiously, sometimes deliberately
4:14
rearing partially exposed figures until
4:18
proper conservation measures are
4:20
available. This ensures that fragile
4:22
statues are not destroyed before they
4:25
can be stabilized.
4:28
Another strategy involves chemical
4:31
stabilization.
4:33
Scientists in the 1980s and 1990s
4:37
experimented with a variety of
4:39
consolidants to fix the fragile paint to
4:42
the clay surface. Unfortunately, early
4:46
chemicals sometimes discolored the
4:48
figures or created new problems.
4:52
More recently, German and Chinese teams
4:55
developed a compound called PEG,
4:58
polyethylene glycol, which penetrates
5:01
the paint layers and prevents them from
5:04
flaking off when exposed to air. While
5:07
not perfect, this innovation has allowed
5:10
some statues to retain traces of their
5:13
original color, providing new insights
5:16
into ancient Chinese art.
5:21
Alongside these chemical methods,
5:23
technology has revolutionized
5:25
conservation. Highresolution 3D scanning
5:29
records the exact form of each warrior,
5:32
capturing details of armor, hairstyles,
5:35
and even fingerprints left by the
5:38
craftsman.
5:39
Digital modeling allows researchers to
5:42
reconstruct missing parts virtually
5:45
before any physical restoration is
5:47
attempted.
5:49
Replicas created by 3D printing have
5:52
been used in exhibitions and educational
5:55
displays, reducing the need to transport
5:58
fragile originals abroad. Infrared
6:02
imaging and X-ray fluoresence help
6:05
identify pigments and map the internal
6:08
structure of the figures, giving
6:10
conservators more information without
6:13
invasive procedures.
6:17
Now let us consider the debates.
6:21
Should the warriors be restored to their
6:23
original painted splendor or preserved
6:26
in their current condition?
6:29
On one side, restoration advocates argue
6:33
that the public should be able to see
6:35
the figures as they once appeared,
6:38
brightly colored and lifelike, not dull
6:41
gray statues.
6:43
reconstructions could enhance
6:45
appreciation and bring ancient China to
6:48
life.
6:50
On the other side, preservationists
6:53
warned that adding modern materials or
6:55
repainting risks falsifying the past.
6:59
Authenticity, they argue, is more
7:02
valuable than spectacle.
7:05
Once an object is altered, the original
7:08
evidence is lost forever.
7:11
This tension between restoration and
7:13
preservation is common in heritage
7:16
management.
7:18
But in the case of the Terra Cotta Army,
7:20
it is especially sensitive
7:23
because the warriors are such iconic
7:26
national symbols.
7:29
International cooperation's been crucial
7:32
in addressing these challenges. Since
7:35
the 1980s,
7:37
Chinese archaeologists have partnered
7:39
with German scientists, particularly
7:42
from the Bavarian State Conservation
7:44
Office, to develop new conservation
7:47
methods. British, American, and Japanese
7:51
researchers have also contributed.
7:54
UNESCO's designation of the moraleum of
7:57
the first Chin Emperor as a world
8:00
heritage site in 1987
8:03
brought global recognition and
8:06
resources.
8:07
This status emphasizes that the Terra
8:10
cotta warriors are not only part of
8:12
China's heritage but part of humanity's
8:16
shared heritage.
8:18
At the same time, international
8:20
exhibitions of the Warriors in London,
8:23
New York, Sydney, and other cities have
8:26
raised awareness and generated funding.
8:30
However, they've also sparked
8:32
controversy.
8:33
Is it wise to transport fragile statues
8:37
across the world, risking further damage
8:40
simply to satisfy international
8:43
curiosity?
8:46
Let's also look at the ongoing risks.
8:49
Tourism's transformed the site into one
8:52
of China's most visited attractions with
8:55
millions of people entering the pits
8:57
each year. Human presence increases
9:01
humidity, dust, and vibration, all of
9:04
which affect the fragile clay. Pollution
9:07
from the rapidly growing city of Shian
9:10
also poses a serious threat. Acid rain,
9:14
for instance, can alter the soil
9:16
chemistry and weaken the terra cotta.
9:19
Conservation's also extremely expensive.
9:22
It requires laboratories, highly trained
9:25
staff, monitoring equipment, and
9:28
constant research.
9:30
Unlike some archaeological projects that
9:33
can be completed, conservation of the
9:36
terra cotta warriors is never finished.
9:39
It's a continuous process demanding
9:42
vigilance and resources generation after
9:46
generation.
9:48
Finally, let's reflect on the broader
9:51
significance of this work. Conserving
9:54
the warriors is not simply about saving
9:57
thousands of statues. It is about
10:00
preserving a story.
10:02
the ambitions of China's first emperor,
10:06
the skills of ancient craftsmen,
10:09
and the cultural identity of a
10:11
civilization.
10:13
The warriors connect past and present,
10:16
showing how art, politics, and
10:18
technology were intertwined in the 3rd
10:22
century BCE.
10:24
They also remind us of the fragility of
10:27
cultural heritage. What survives from
10:30
the past can vanish in an instant if not
10:34
carefully protected.
10:36
To conclude, the conservation of the
10:39
terra cotta warriors is one of the most
10:41
complex projects in world archaeology.
10:45
It combines science, ethics,
10:48
international collaboration, and
10:51
cultural diplomacy.
10:53
These figures are not just relics buried
10:56
with Chin Shir Huang. They are part of
10:59
humanity's shared heritage. By
11:03
protecting them, we safeguard a unique
11:05
window into the ancient world. The Terra
11:09
Cotta Army teaches us that
11:11
conservation's not only about preserving
11:13
objects, but about preserving the
11:16
stories, values, and identities that
11:20
objects embody.
11:22
Thank you.