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Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors is a documentary directed by James Tovell, who is also known for his direction in documentaries like Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb and movies and movies like Cradle to Grave.
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors was released on June 12, 2024. It's a Netflix documentary and is available to stream exclusively on Netflix. This documentary looks at the interesting past of old China and studies it using findings from digging up old things and by acting out historical events.
The Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors revolves around the terracotta soldiers which were made in 210–209 BCE to protect the grave of Qin Shi Huang, who was the first ruler of China. They were later discovered in 1974 and also known as the eighth world wonder.
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The official synopsis of the documentary Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors reads:
“Discovered in 1974, the Terracotta Warriors were hailed as the world's eighth wonder. Fifty years later, what new secrets await at this iconic site?”
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors: 10 biggest reveals
The warriors aren't the only clay figures in the tomb
The Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors shows that there were more clay figures beyond the soldiers to help the king in his afterlife. There, clay acrobats, servants and animals, were buried after the death of Qin Shi Huang.
The excavation of the tomb, which has been hidden for many years, showed that the area is about 60 square kilometers, which is as big as Manhattan. The area has a lot of buildings and many more clay figures other than soldiers that are yet to be discovered.
All the Famous Terracotta Warriors Were Broken
The famous Terracotta warriors in Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors were not in a perfect shape when they were first discovered. Each of the 8000 warriors that were found has had some damage. A few of them were even broken into more than 4000 pieces.
The damage to these clay warriors suggest that it has been done intentionally. The signs showed the theme being smashed and cut using multiple tools. After its discovery, the researchers reconstructed these warriors with their hands for further research and to preserve it.
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors: Qin Shi Huang's tomb started building at his 13
The king from a very young age was obsessed to know about the afterlife. The construction of his tomb started when he was just 13.
Till that time he had not even captured the six eastern kingdoms to make one huge country China. With his expansion and increasing power, his plans for his tomb also expanded.
Qin Shi Huang ensured that his tomb had all the royalty and facilities he might need to live a rich and luxurious afterlife, which would become a testimonial of his greatness.
Building the tomb showed the strength of a Republic China
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors shows that building such a big tomb with all these facilities could have only been possible with the inception of China. Craftsmen and workers from all across the nation were moved to build the warriors and decorate this tomb.
The collaborative effort to make this tomb showed the unified China but also highlighted the harsh realities of Qin’s rule. People were forced to move and relocate to work at the tomb, which was more about fulfillment of Qin’s wish and less about the benefit of the people.
The Emperor's death was kept secret by his youngest son
Although Qin Shi Huang had announced his eldest son as the king after him, Hu Hai, the youngest son of the king, and, Zhao Gao, the servant’ head, conspired against him and plotted a letter on behalf of Qin, naming Hu Hai as the new king of the country.
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors revealed that they kept the death of Qin a secret and hid his body in a cart surrounded by fishes to cover the smell of decomposition. The secretive takeover resulted in a rough time for the empire.
The emperor's mistresses were killed and buried nearby
A mass grave is shown in Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors, with dozens of body parts of women found near the emperor’s tomb.
It has been historically recorded that these women were Qin Shi Huang’s mistresses, and, after his death, they were killed by Hu Hai when he came into power. It showed how bad the conditions were during the power struggle following the death of Qin.
An unidentified grave close to the Emperor's grave
Another grave, shown in Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors near the emperor’s grave, was found with the remains of a young man of about 18 to 22 years, buried with some valuable items.
There were theories and speculations that it might be someone who helped Hu Hai, but his reported age was ruled out many known figures. Another possible theory is that it belongs to Prince Gao who killed himself to protect his family.
Hu Hai paused the construction over the tomb
Hui Hai moved the manforce and resources that were being used to construct the tomb for one his fights in the eastern part of the empire.
He offered the workers their freedom if they agree to go to fight for him. Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors revealed that it led to the end of the construction, and people forgot its location for centuries.
A big fire at the grave site
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors revealed that archeologists discovered evidence of massive fire breakdown, which was done on purpose by the people of the empire, indicating that Qin’s tomb was ransacked after Hu Hai’s death.
It was a way for people to show their rage for Qin’s harsh rule and how he wasted resources on his tomb which could have been used for the greater good.
The excavation at Emperor Qin's Tomb Is Still Not Finished
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors revealed that even though many things have been found, the digging at Qin's tomb is still not finished. Only 1,200 of 8,000 warrior statues have been put back together. There are still big parts that haven't been looked at yet.
The emperor's real burial room is yet to be found, which is said to have even more valuable things along some traps. Some old books say that Qin's body is floating on a lake made of mercury so that his body can be preserved from breaking down, but archaeologists are yet to research and confirm anything about that.
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors is streaming on Netflix.
