8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible story of a lost time and hidden army, May 4, 2001
This review is from: The Incredible Story of China's Buried Warriors (Frozen in Time, Set 2) (Library Binding)
When farmers digging a well in 1974 discovered some statues buried in the ground in the countryside near Xi'an, central China, it wasn't really that unusual. Bits of statuary and broken pottery had been discovered through that area for many years. What was unusual, however, was the fact that there weren't just a few statues buried in the ground; there were literally THOUSANDS of them. A whole, vast army of terra-cotta soldiers, horses, and chariots spanned a size greater than 5 football fields, all buried for over 2,000 years.
One of the better-known recent events in archeological history was the discovery of the Qin army, buried during the reign of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. Thousands of life-sized statues, richly detailed and no two exactly alike, were buried by during the first part of his reign. During his life, Qin was on a constant quest to find an elixir of life that would allow him to live forever. Archeologists believe that the army was made to protect the Emperor in the afterlife, should he not find that elixir during his lifetime.
A beautiful and fascinating book, "China's Buried Warriors" is richly illustrated with photographs from the digs. Though they have lost their original coats of paint and are all an earthy brown, each warrior looks profoundly ALIVE, as if he is ready to spring into action at a moments notice. It's almost spooky to see so many determined, read-for-action faces staring out at the reader from the pages.
Additional information, such as ancient Chinese history, the system of writing, and theories on how the statues were made is interspersed throughout the book. This information helps the reader who may not be familiar with all areas of Chinese history or archeology. The reader comes away with a profound notion of how long it must have taken to make these statues, as well as unearth them (you cannot simply use a shovel to dig them up, the author reminds us, they must be painstakingly dug out with hand trowels, brushes and small picks).
Most books on archaeology leave a reader cold and bored, especially a young reader. What's so interesting about a bunch of clay statues?? "China's Buried Warriors" clearly is not in the ho-hum, humdrum league of most archaeological writings. The enthusiasm and excitement the author has for the subject is immediate from the very first page, and leads the reader ever onward through the narrative.
As a teacher, I've used this book in social studies as a springboard to a great number of topics: China, the past, rulers and emperors, writing, and even death and dying. The text is written clearly and flows evenly from one topic to another. However, very young or beginning readers may have difficulty decoding some of the Chinese words and names.
As an introduction or addition to archeology and the study of past human cultures, I can't recommend this book highly enough!! An excellent work!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
