Terracotta statue of a martial general in Qin Shi Huang’s tomb

Archaeologists studying China’s famous terracotta army discovered a rare life-sized statue of a high-ranking general. The meticulously decorated statue discovered in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi province, China, is the 10th statue of a general among thousands of terracotta statues excavated to date, according to Live Science.

“The decorative details on the bodies of high-ranking generals’ statues reveal their special status,” said Xiuzhen Janice Li, an archaeologist at Oxford University. “The decorative style and colors reflect the aesthetic taste and social status symbols of the time.”

The newly discovered statue next to the remains of two chariots, three clay horses and two other statues, provides new insights into the ancient military organizational structure. According to Li, the arrangement of high-ranking generals in the ranks reflected the military tactics as well as the command system during the Qin Dynasty. The newly found statues are located in hole number 2, which is believed to contain a cavalry statue. However, Zhu Sihong, head of the excavation project, said the general’s statue was the first depiction of a high-ranking individual discovered here.

Military generals are distinguished by details on their heads and the colors and patterns of their armor. Their hands are always clasped in front, and their epaulets and armor are decorated with ribbons. However, a big unanswered question is “Who is the general who controls the entire Terracotta Army?”

The Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 during the construction of a water well in northwest China. This is one of the largest archaeological discoveries of modern times. The army includes thousands of life-sized clay statues located in 3 holes in the ground, dating back to the 3rd century BC.

Five years after the discovery, archaeologists unearthed about 2,000 terracotta statues, although experts estimate there are up to 8,000 statues at the site. These statues were buried with bows, arrows and swords, most likely to protect China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC) in the afterlife.