Neutron activation analysis of sources of raw material of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses

Building the Terracotta Army: ceramic craft technology and organisation of production at Qin Shihuang's mausoleum complex

“…An assumption in such studies is that clay and temper were obtained close to the site of pottery production (Quinn 2013: 119), which seems probable in this case. Previous scientific investigations have used a geochemical provenance approach to demonstrate that local clay deposits were indeed used (Gao et al 2003;Shan et al 2003;Lei et al 2004). One such local candidate is the fine, silty loess that underlies much of central and northern Shaanxi Province.…”

Marking practices and the making of the Qin Terracotta Army

“…A considerable amount of sculptural detail (robes, other dress elements, scale armour, hair, facial features) was then added separately to the basic human form by hand, before the clay figure was dried in the shade and baked in a kiln. From a logistical point of view, it seems likely that most or all of these manufacturing steps would have occurred in close spatial proximity to one another, as well as close to the clay sources, kilns and pits themselves (see Gao et al 2002;Lei et al 2004;Hu et al 2007 on attempts to source the clay). After firing, the whole terracotta warriors were covered with lacquer before applying various bright pigments (Blansdorf et al 2001;Bonaduce et al 2008).…”

Geochemical evidence for the manufacture, logistics and supply‐chain management of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army, China

“…The immense cultural value of the Terracotta Army means that destructive scientific analyses have so far only been conducted on small fragments of the statues (Gao et al . 2002; Shan et al . 2003; Zhao et al .…”