Can you imagine thousands and thousands of clay warriors? Well, I went to the Field Museum in Chicago, and guess what? The clay warriors are real! They were built for one person: China’s first Emperor.

Here is a bit of information on the terra cotta warriors. The exhibit is traveling around the country. I hope you get to see it! In 1974, a Chinese farmer found one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. What was it? A life-sized terra cotta warrior! They are made out of fired clay.

The king of Qin, Qin Shi Huang (or Huangdi), sent out an army to conquer China. When he succeeded, he became the first emperor. He was a very cruel ruler. Many people died building the Great Wall. Yet, that was the emperor’s weakness: death. He searched and searched for a cure for death. Before he died, he ordered these clay warriors made to have a place in the afterlife. Even though the terra cotta warriors were found many years ago, some of it is still a mystery.

These statues are made out of terracotta clay and molded. There were archers, generals, charioteers, and many more types of statues. Some rode horses, and some of the archers were in perfect condition, but their bronze arrows were scattered around them.

Some of them were painted in bright colors. Today the paint is wearing off, but you can still see marks where the paint was. The emperor did not just bury terracotta animals, he buried real animals. Archaeologists found skeletons of real horses at the site!

The terra cotta warriors are one of China’s greatest attractions. At the Field Museum, there are many more exhibits than the warriors. I really suggest you go there if you can. The warriors are there for a limited time—through Jan. 8, 2017. Get tickets! To find out more, visit www.fieldmuseum.org.