Chapter 1
Discovery of the
first Terracotta Warrior
Duration: 01:54
This is a colour video clip about how the Terracotta Warriors were first discovered
in China in 1974. Featuring commentary by the director of the Art Gallery of New
South Wales, Edmund Capon, the clip begins with scenes of the valley around Xian
in central China followed by a re-enactment of the discovery by Yang Xinman, one
of the farmers who made the first find. The second half of the clip shows original
footage of the site being examined, the excavation beginning and some finds being
uncovered. The clip is 1 minute 54 seconds in length.
Chapter 2
Terracotta Warriors of Pit No. 1
Duration: 02:29
This is a colour video clip about the Terracotta Warriors. It begins with Professor Yuan Zhongyi, Honorary Curator of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in China, describing the first months of excitement after the Warriors were discovered. This is followed by scenes of the Museum itself. Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, then describes what he saw when he visited the site in 1974. He shows the extent of Pit No 1 and explains how the Warriors were arranged in a formation of nine columns. The clip is 2 minutes 29 seconds in length.
Chapter 3
Qin Shi Huang's rise to power
Duration: 00:55
This is a colour video clip about how Qin Shi Huang became China's first emperor.
Narrated by Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and accompanied
by maps, paintings and movie footage, the clip describes how Qin Shi Huang ascended
to the throne of the Qin state at 13 years of age and began campaigning to conquer
neighbouring states at 21. In 221 BCE he proclaimed himself emperor. The clip is
55 seconds in length and is rich in visuals and information.
Chapter 4
Qin Shi Huang's burial city
Duration: 02:05
This is a colour video clip about the burial city built by China's first emperor,
Qin Shi Huang. It is narrated by Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery of New
South Wales, and accompanied by paintings, computer-generated images, and scenes
of the actual burial mound in 2010. The clip describes how the burial city covers
56 sq k and contains the emperor's tomb and more than 600 pits, most of which have
not yet been excavated. At the end of the clip, Capon speculates about the materials
yet to be discovered. The clip is 2 minutes 5 seconds in length.
Chapter 5
The individual Terracotta Warriors
Duration: 02:45
This is a colour clip about the production and individual modelling of the Terracotta
Warriors. It is narrated by Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery of New South
Wales, and shows him at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Xian in Pit
No 1 examining the Warriors close up. Capon explains that Qin Shi Huang must have
established production lines for the figures but points out how each Warrior's size,
pose, expression, uniform, armour, hairstyle and facial hair makes it an individual
work of art. The clip is 2 minutes 45 seconds in length.
Chapter 6
Further discoveries near the emperor's burial site
Duration: 02:02
This is a colour video clip about the significant finds archaeologists have made
near Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb and the pit of the Terracotta Warriors in China.
Narrated by the director of the Art Galley of New South Wales, Edmund Capon, the
clip shows the military figures found in Pits No 2 and 3; millions of pieces of
stone armour found in another pit; figures of acrobats found in yet another pit;
bronze birds found in Pit No 7; and finally two half-size bronze chariots, two drivers
and eight horses that were found close to the actual tomb. The clip is 2 minutes
2 seconds in length.
Chapter 7
Qin Shi Huang's death and burial
Duration: 02:29
This is a colour video clip about the events and stories surrounding the death and
burial of China's first emperor in 210 BCE. Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery
of New South Wales, retells the famous accounts of how Qin Shi Huang's death was
concealed: the smell of his decaying corpse was disguised by a load of fish, and
courtesans and artisans were shut up in his tomb. Modern film footage of the possible
appearance of the tomb and images of the end of the Qin dynasty are included. The
clip is 2 minutes 29 seconds in length.
Chapter 8
The construction and painting of the Terracotta Warriors
Duration: 01:26
This is a colour video clip showing what archaeologists and restorers have discovered
about the manufacture and preparation of the Terracotta Warriors. Narrated by Edmund
Capon, Director of the Art Galley of New South Wales, the clip shows terracotta
fragments being reassembled and what this process reveals about the figures' original
construction. The final section describes the discovery that the figures were painted
to make them more lifelike and discusses the importance of conserving the fragile
paint. The clip is 1 minute 26 seconds in length.
Chapter 9
What might be inside the emperor's tomb
Duration: 02:14
This is a colour video clip about the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
It begins with a visual recreation of the tomb accompanied by a reading from 'Records
of the grand historian' by Sima Qian. The narrator, Edmund Capon, Director of the
Art Galley of New South Wales, then explains that evidence of high levels of mercury
confirm part of Sima Qian's account. The clip closes with a comment from Professor
Yuan Zhongyi, scenes of dancers dressed as warriors, and a discussion of the emperor's
'immortality'. The clip is 2 minutes 14 seconds in length.
Chapter 10
The Terracotta Warriors live on
Duration: 01:50
This is a colour clip about Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Warriors, how they
travel the world and how their faces are seen in the faces of the people of Xian.
The first half of the clip shows the city's walls, markets and people. Edmund Capon,
Director of the Art Galley of New South Wales, speculates about the connection between
Xian's people and the first emperor and his warriors. The second half shows part
of Terracotta Warriors' exhibition. This clip is taken from 'The first emperor',
a documentary produced by the Gallery and is 1 minute 50 seconds in length.
