NOVA: Emperor’s Ghost Army

NOVA: Emperor’s Ghost Army

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 9:00pm

Close up of a 2200 year old figure

Credit: Courtesy of Lion Television

Investigate how and why life-sized terracotta statues were made for Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China.

To defend himself in the afterlife, the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was buried in a vast mausoleum accompanied by around 9,000 life-sized terracotta statues. With exclusive access to groundbreaking new research, NOVA investigates the secrets of how and why the astonishing figures were made and the technology behind the still lethal and highly-advanced crossbows, spears, and swords carried by the clay warriors. NOVA: Emperor’s Ghost Army airs Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV