Secrets of the Dead (2000–…): Season 11, Episode 3 - China's Terracotta Warriors - full transcript

Narrator: A STUNNING
DISCOVERY MADE IN RURAL CHINA.

AN ANCIENT ARMY
8,000 SOLDIERS STRONG,

EACH WARRIOR WAS
SCULPTED BY HAND.

I'M JUST ASTOUNDED THAT
THEY COULD BE PRODUCED

IN THESE SORT OF NUMBERS
AND MADE SO INDIVIDUAL.

HOW WAS THIS VAST NUMBER
OF STATUES PRODUCED

FOR CHINA'S FIRST EMPEROR?

AND ARE THEY MORE THAN JUST
AN ANCIENT CURIOSITY?

Woman: IT'S A FUNDAMENTAL
ADVANCE IN OUR UNDERSTANDING

IN OUR 21st CENTURY
KNOWLEDGE OF PHYSICS.

CHINA'S TERRACOTTA ARMY
ON "SECRETS OF THE DEAD."



"SECRETS OF THE DEAD" WAS
MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS

TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO,
THE FIRST EMPEROR OF CHINA

SET OUT TO BUILD A LAVISH TOMB

WHERE HE COULD SPEND
HIS ETERNAL LIFE.

THE EMPEROR NEEDED FIERCE
WARRIORS TO ACCOMPANY HIM

INTO THE AFTERLIFE TO PROTECT
HIM FROM THE UNKNOWN.

AND SO, TO SATISFY
THEIR LEADER'S WISH,

ANCIENT CHINESE CRAFTSMEN
CREATED AN ARMY OF CLAY...

8,000 SOLDIERS STRONG.

NOW, 21st CENTURY
SCIENTISTS ARE STUDYING

THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

AND MAKING ASTONISHING
DISCOVERIES.



THE YEAR IS 221 B.C.

IN MEXICO, THE CITY OF
TEOTIHUACAN IS EXPANDING,

ON TRACK TO BECOME ANCIENT
AMERICA'S GREATEST METROPOLIS.

IN EGYPT, THE CITY
OF ALEXANDRIA

BOASTS A 400-FOOT
TALL LIGHTHOUSE,

ONE OF THE TALLEST BUILDINGS

IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME.

AND IN CHINA, A TEAM
OF CRAFTSMEN BEGINS

AN INCREDIBLE FEAT.

MORE THAN 2,000
YEARS LATER IN 1974,

FARMERS, DIGGING A WELL
NEAR THE CHINESE CITY

OF XI'AN, DISCOVERED
STRANGE FRAGMENTS

OF CLAY SCULPTED
IN HUMAN FORM.

INTRIGUED, CHINESE
ARCHEOLOGISTS CAREFULLY

EXCAVATED THE SOIL AND MADE
A STAGGERING DISCOVERY.

8,000 CLAY WARRIORS.

INFANTRY...

ARCHERS...

GENERALS, CALVARY,

BURIED IN 3 PITS
NEAR THE TOMB

OF ONE OF HISTORY'S
MOST POWERFUL MEN...

THE BRILLIANT SOLDIER
AND RUTHLESS CONQUEROR

NAMED QIN SHI HUANGDI.

MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO,
HE UNIFIED 7 WARRING KINGDOMS

INTO A SINGLE EMPIRE
CALLED CHINA...

GIVING HIMSELF THE TITLE
OF FIRST EMPEROR.

AND HE BUILT HIMSELF
AN EXTRAORDINARY TOMB,

ONE THAT DWARFED THE ANCIENT
EGYPTIAN PHARAOHS PYRAMIDS.

A CHINESE AUTHOR RECORDED
THE SPLENDORS OF THAT TOMB.

ITS RIVERS AND OCEANS
MADE OF MERCURY.

ITS REPLICAS OF PALACES
FULLY REPRODUCING

THE EMPEROR'S EARTHLY REALM.

BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION
OF AN UNDERGROUND ARMY

IN THIS ANCIENT TEXT.

AND NOTHING LIKE IT HAD EVER
BEEN FOUND BEFORE OR SINCE.

THE ORIGINS OF THE
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

HAVE REMAINED A MYSTERY
FOR MORE THAN 2 MILLENNIA.

NOW, ARCHEOLOGISTS AND
SCIENTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

HAVE JOINED TOGETHER
TO FIND OUT EVERYTHING

THEY CAN ABOUT THE STATUES.

WHY THEY WERE MADE,
PERHAPS, MORE INTRIGUINGLY,

HOW THEY WERE MADE?

EACH SOLDIER STANDS 6 FEET TALL
AND WEIGHS MORE THAN 600 POUNDS.

CREATING THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
WAS A STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT.

IT WOULD HAVE COST A FORTUNE
ONLY AN EMPEROR COULD AFFORD.

THE TASK WOULD HAVE
REQUIRED YEARS OF WORK

AND ENDLESS INGENUITY,
AS WORKERS STRUGGLED

TO MAKE CLAY STATUES
ON A SCALE

NEVER ATTEMPTED BEFORE.

AND WHEN THEY WERE
FINALLY FINISHED,

THEY WERE BURIED OUT
OF SIGHT FOR ETERNITY.

QIN SHI HUANGDI WENT TO
ENORMOUS TROUBLE AND EXPENSE

TO CREATE THESE STATUES,
STATUES THAT WOULD NEVER

BE SEEN BY HUMAN
EYES AFTER HIS DEATH.

JUST WEST OF THE FIRST
EMPEROR'S TOMB,

ARCHEOLOGIST JIN HONGWEI IS
STUDYING ANOTHER ROYAL TOMB,

ONE THAT MIGHT PROVIDE
CLUES TO UNDERSTANDING

WHY THE FIRST EMPEROR
PRODUCED HIS ARMY OF CLAY.

IN 537 B.C.,

SOME 300 YEARS BEFORE THE
FIRST EMPEROR UNIFIED CHINA,

THIS GIGANTIC PIT WAS THE
TOMB OF QIN JING GUMB

RULER OF THE
SMALL KINGDOM OF QIN

AND ONE OF THE FIRST
EMPEROR'S ANCESTORS.

THESE WOODEN BOXES
ARE A GRIM REMINDER

OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE ON
THE DAY JING WAS BURIED,

THE RITUAL KILLING
OF HIS ENTIRE COURT.

Translator: WHEN QIN
JING GUMB PASSED AWAY,

HE BURIED 186
LIVING PEOPLE WITH HIM.

THEY WERE BURIED
IN THESE COFFINS.

EACH COFFIN WAS NUMBERED

AND EACH VICTIM WAS
ALSO GIVEN A NUMBER.

EVERY VICTIM WAS BURIED
IN THE COFFIN

WITH HIS OR HER NUMBER.

THE POSITION
OF EVERY COFFIN HAD
BEEN PRE-ASSIGNED.

PRIDE OF PLACE WENT TO THE
RULER'S MINISTERS AND WIVES,

ASSIGNED TO THE COFFINS
NEAREST HIS OWN.

CRUDER CASKETS IN THE OUTER
RANKS HELD ROYAL CRAFTSMEN,

BODY GUARDS, AND
OTHER USEFUL COMMONERS.

THEY WERE ALL KILLED
TO SERVE THEIR LORD

IN DEATH AS
THEY HAD IN LIFE.

IT IS THE LARGEST HUMAN
SACRIFICE EVER FOUND

IN AN ANCIENT CHINESE TOMB.

BUT THERE WERE OTHERS.

Translator: ALMOST EVER
BIG TOMB WOULD HAVE

100 TO 200 CORPSES.

THIS IS
A MASSIVE NUMBER.

BODY COUNTS LIKE THESE
FROM ROYAL TOMBS CONJURE UP

IMAGES OF MASS SLAUGHTER.

BUT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE
OF A VIOLENT MASSACRE.

THESE BONES BELONGED TO PEOPLE
BURIED IN QIN JING GUMB'S TOMB.

AND ACCORDING TO
ARCHEOLOGIST ZHANG ZHONGLI,

SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WERE HAPPY
OR AT LEAST WILLING TO DIE.

Translator: AT THAT TIME
PEOPLE BELIEVED

THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER WORLD

WHERE PEOPLE COULD CARRY ON
THEIR LIVES AFTER DEATH.

RULERS, ATTENDANTS, AND
FOLLOWERS WERE ENJOYING

THEIR LIVES WITH THEIR
MASTERS WHEN HE WAS ALIVE.

SO, IT WAS QUITE NATURAL
TO FOLLOW HIM WHEN HE DIED.

FOR THEM, DEATH WAS
ANOTHER FORM OF LIFE.

Translator: SOME
PEOPLE WERE TERRIFIED

AND UNWILLING TO DIE,

BUT SOME OTHER PEOPLE
THOUGHT THEIR LIVES

WERE MEANINGLESS
WITHOUT THEIR MASTER,

SO THEY WANTED TO FOLLOW
THEIR MASTER TO DEATH

AND CONSIDERED
THIS A BIG HONOR.

SOME COMMITTED SUICIDE,
OTHERS WERE MURDERED.

THE ANSWER TO HOW THEY
DIED LIES IN THE BONES.

Translator: THIS IS
A HUMAN SKULL UNCOVERED

FROM A COFFIN IN THE TOMB.

WE TESTED THE CHEMICAL
COMPOSITION OF THE SKULL

AND THE HAIR AND FOUND THAT
THEY BOTH CONTAINED ARSENIC.

THERE ARE NO TRACES
OF ARSENIC IN THE GROUND

AROUND THE COFFINS, WHICH
LEAVES ONLY ONE POSSIBILITY.

THE ARSENIC MUST
HAVE BEEN INGESTED

BY THE VICTIMS...
VOLUNTARILY OR NOT.

Translator: ARSENIC CAN
BE DISSOLVED IN ALCOHOL.

SO, WE THINK THAT THESE
VICTIMS DRANK ARSENIC WINE

AND WERE POISONED TO DEATH.

WHEN QIN JIN GUMB
TOOK HIS MINISTERS,

SERVANTS, AND SOLDIERS
WITH HIM TO THE GRAVE,

HE WAS FOLLOWING A 1,000-
YEAR-OLD CHINESE TRADITION.

ONLY 300 YEARS LATER,
THE FIRST EMPEROR,

THE MOST POWERFUL RULER
IN CHINA'S HISTORY,

ALSO BURIED OFFICIALS,
SERVANTS,

ENTERTAINERS, AND 8,000
SOLDIERS IN HIS TOMB...

BUT THEY WERE
ALL MADE OF CLAY.

WHAT CHANGED IN THOSE 300 YEARS?

ACCORDING TO AUTHOR
GUO XINGWEN,

THE ANCIENT CHINESE MAY HAVE
BELIEVED IN HUMAN SACRIFICE,

BUT THAT DIDN'T
MEAN THEY LIKED IT.

Translator: TODAY, WE REGARD
THIS AS AN INHUMANE THING.

IN ANCIENT TIMES, IT WAS
CONSIDERED INHUMANE AS WELL.

MOST OF THE COURT OFFICIALS
WEREN'T WILLING TO DIE,

BUT THEY DIDN'T
HAVE ANY CHOICE.

THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN
DISLOYAL IF THEY DIDN'T.

THE RITUAL SYSTEM
REQUIRED THEM TO DIE.

IT WOULD BE THEIR HONOR
TO FOLLOW THE MONARCH,

DESPITE THE FACT
THAT NONE OF THEM
WOULD REALLY LIKE IT.

BUT IT WAS THE VIOLENCE
OF WAR THAT PUT AN END

TO THE PRACTICE
OF HUMAN SACRIFICE.

LESS THAN 65 YEARS AFTER
QIN JING GUMB'S FUNERAL,

CHINA'S 7 KINGDOMS
PLUNGED INTO WAR.

KNOWN AS THE PERIOD
OF WARRING STATES,

IT LASTED MORE
THAN 250 YEARS.

AS GENERATION AFTER
GENERATION WAS WIPED OUT

AND POPULATIONS DECLINED
BY THE THOUSANDS,

SACRIFICING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE

FOR THE AFTERLIFE BECAME
AN UNAFFORDABLE LUXURY.

Translator: AT THAT TIME HUMAN
LIFE BECAME MORE IMPORTANT

AS A CONSEQUENCE
OF YEARS OF WAR,

THE POPULATION HAD
DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.

EACH STATE WAS STRUGGLING
TO MAINTAIN ITS POPULATION

SINCE POPULATION
MEANS PRODUCTIVITY.

BY THE TIME THE FIRST
EMPEROR ENDED CENTURIES

OF WAR AND UNIFIED CHINA,
HUMAN SACRIFICES WERE RARE.

AND RULERS WERE SUBSTITUTING
MORE HUMANE WAYS

OF PROVIDING
FOR THEIR AFTERLIVES.

Translator: IN A TOMB
ABOUT 300 YEARS OLDER
THAN THE FIRST EMPEROR,

WE FOUND SMALL
POTTERY FIGURINES,

SOME TENS
OF CENTIMETERS HIGH.

THIS SHOWS THAT POTTERY
FIGURINES WERE REPLACING

LIVING BEINGS AS OBJECTS.

Translator: FROM THAT POINT
ON TOMBS WHICH WE FOUND

HAD MORE AND MORE
STUFF OF THIS KIND...

BUT NOTHING ON THE SCALE
OF THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

THE FIRST EMPEROR
INHERITED THE TRADITION

OF TINY TOMB FIGURINES,

BUT TOOK IT TO NEW
HEIGHTS, LITERALLY.

HIS TOMB FIGURES WERE LIFE-SIZE
AND NO 2 OF THEM SEEM ALIKE.

THEIR SHOES, THEIR BODIES,

AND ESPECIALLY THEIR FACES
ALL APPEAR TO BE DIFFERENT.

SOME BELIEVE THE 8,000 CLAY
WARRIORS ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS,

BUT NO ONE HAS EVER
CONFIRMED THAT... UNTIL NOW.

IN WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND,
FACIAL RECOGNITION EXPERT

GLEN CAMERON IS ABOUT
TO USE MODERN TECHNOLOGY

TO ANALYZE
THE ANCIENT WARRIORS.

HE USES NEO FACE, A FACIAL
RECOGNITION SOFTWARE.

IT IS BEING USED
THROUGHOUT ASIA

AND AROUND THE WORLD

AND BORDER CONTROL
SURVEILLANCE,

IMMIGRATION,
AND BY THE POLICE.

WE CAN MATCH AROUND ONE
MILLION FACES PER SECOND.

SO, WE'RE VERY PROUD
OF IT AND WE THINK IT'S

GOING TO DO A GOOD JOB
AT TODAY'S MISSION.

THE SOFTWARE
ANALYZES THE FACES

OF ABOUT 100
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS,

INSTANTLY COMPARING EYES,
NOSES, MOUTHS,

AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT FEATURES
TO DETERMINE IF ANY MATCH.

LET'S HAVE A QUICK LOOK
AT THESE TOP MATCHES HERE.

THESE 2 ARE THE
BIG FATTER CHINS.

SO, HERE WE HAVE VERY
SIMILAR CHIN LINES,

THE BIG THICK CHIN,
SIMILAR MOUTH POSITION.

THE NOSE IS SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT, BUT THE EYES,

EYEBROWS...
ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

THERE'S A HUGE RANGE
OF FACES HERE,

VERY INDIVIDUAL,
VERY INDIVIDUAL.

THE WHOLE HEAD VERY
DIFFERENT IN SHAPE.

VERY DIFFERENT
FACIAL HERE.

A LOT OF DIFFERENCE
IN THE EYES.

THIS GUY'S
LOOKING QUITE SAD.

LOOK AT THE EYEBROWS
ON THIS ONE,

NEARLY FROWNING.

VERY ENTERTAINING
FACIAL FEATURES

AND THE EYES,
THE EYEBROWS.

THIS ONE HERE...
QUITE A FLAT NOSE.

AND THIS ONE HERE
MORE... NORMAL.

THERE'S SOME
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN
THE WARRIORS

LIKE SOME CHINS OR
THE MOUTHS, THE EYES,

THE NOSE, BUT THEY'RE
ALL VERY UNIQUE.

I THINK THIS IS
INCREDIBLY EXCITING

AND I'M JUST ASTOUNDED
THAT THEY COULD

BE PRODUCED IN
THESE SORT OF NUMBERS

AND MADE SO INDIVIDUAL.

8,000 INDIVIDUALS.

IT IS A MYSTERY
WHETHER THEY WERE PORTRAITS

OF THE EMPEROR'S SOLDIERS

OR PRODUCTS OF THE WARRIOR
MAKERS' IMAGINATIONS.

BUT ONE THING IS CLEAR...

CREATING 8,000
CLAY INDIVIDUALS

MADE THE JOB OF PRODUCING

THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.

Translator: HUMAN-SIZED
STATUES ARE DEFINITELY HARDER

THAN SMALL STATUES TO MAKE.

WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THE
IDEA MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN

HOW DIFFICULT MAKING
THEM WAS GOING TO BE.

ON A DAY FOREVER
LOST TO HISTORY,

THE EMPEROR
GAVE HIS ORDERS...

8,000 UNIQUE FIGURES AND ALL
TO BE READY ON THE UNKNOWN

DAY WHEN HE DIED, ALL OF THEM
STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE

AN ETERNITY UNDERGROUND...
AND ALL OF THEM BEAUTIFUL

AND REALISTIC ENOUGH TO
PLEASE THE IMPERIAL EYE...

EACH ONE DIFFERENT
FROM THE NEXT.

AND THE EMPEROR
DEMANDED PERFECTION.

DAY ONE OF TERRACOTTA
WARRIOR PRODUCTION...

AROUND 221 B.C.

2 MEN CAN SHED LIGHT ON
WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE

TO FACE THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING
LIFE-SIZED SOLDIERS OUT OF CLAY.

ZHANG BINRUO
AND HAN POINGZHE

MAKE TERRACOTTA
WARRIORS FOR A LIVING.

THEIR FACTORY
TURNS OUT THOUSANDS

OF TERRACOTTA WARRIOR
REPLICAS EVERY YEAR.

IT IS A THRIVING BUSINESS THAT
SENDS WARRIORS ACROSS THE WORLD

TO PEOPLE FASCINATED WITH THE
FIRST EMPEROR'S ARMY OF CLAY.

Translator: OUR
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS ARE
EXPORTED TO COUNTRIES

LIKE THE UNITED STATES,
GERMANY, JAPAN,

THE UNITED KINGDOM,
AND FRANCE.

WE MANUFACTURE
AROUND 50,000

SMALL TERRACOTTA
WARRIORS EACH YEAR

AND ABOUT 200
FULL-SIZE FIGURES.

BESIDES THE
TRADITIONAL STATUES,

WE ALSO MODIFY SOME
ELEMENTS ACCORDING
TO OUR CLIENT'S NEEDS.

THIS WARRIOR
IS PLAYING GOLF.

WE MADE IT FOR OUR CLIENT...
THE YA JIAN GOLF CLUB.

THE GOLF CLUB GIVES IT
TO WINNERS AS A TROPHY.

AFTER MORE THAN 25 YEARS
IN THE REPLICA BUSINESS,

ZHANG BINRUO AND HAN PINGZHE

HAVE FACED THE SAME
DIFFICULTIES THE ORIGINAL

WARRIOR MAKERS DID.

LIKE THEIR ANCIENT
PREDECESSORS,

THEY'VE HAD TO FIGURE
OUT WARRIOR MAKING

STEP BY STEP
THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR.

AND JUST LIKE ANCIENT TIMES,
THE PROBLEM IS ONE OF SCALE.

Translator: WE STARTED
TO MAKE 40 CENTIMETERS,

50 CENTIMETERS...
AND FINALLY LIKE THIS ONE...

ONE HALF OF HUMAN SIZE...
ABOUT ONE METER TALL.

TOURISTS WANTED
EVEN BIGGER SIZES.

WE WENT THROUGH
MANY DIFFICULTIES.

THE FIRST CHALLENGE
WAS SIMPLY CHOOSING
THE RIGHT MATERIAL.

BRICKS OR A TOMB FIGURINE CAN BE
MADE OUT OF JUST ABOUT ANY CLAY.

BUT A TYPICAL
TERRACOTTA WARRIOR

STANDS NEARLY 7 FEET TALL
AND WEIGHS UP TO 650 POUNDS.

USING THE RIGHT MATERIAL
CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN A FIERCE WARRIOR AND
A PILE OF BROKEN POTTERY.

THE RIGHT CLAY MUST BE DENSE AND
STICKY ENOUGH TO HOLD TOGETHER

AS IT LOSES WATER
AND DRIES OUT...

BUT NOT SO DENSE THE INSIDE
OF THE STATUE CANNOT DRY.

TODAY, AS IT WAS
2,000 YEARS AGO,

SUCCESS DEPENDS
ON FINDING A CLAY

THAT'S TOUGH ENOUGH TO MAKE
A LIFE-SIZED WARRIOR.

ZHANG BINRUO
DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR

FOR THE RIGHT CLAY THAT COULD
STAND UP TO THE JOB.

THE SITE IS NEAR THE EMPEROR'S
TOMB AND HIS WARRIORS.

Translator: THIS IS
CALLED RED CLAY.

IT IS STICKY AND STRONG.

WE SEARCHED MANY
PLACES AND COULD NOT
FIND ANYWHERE ELSE

WITH AS MUCH RED CLAY,
BUT WE FIND THAT
THIS PLACE HAS A LOT.

Translator: NOW WE ONLY
USE RED CLAY FROM HERE

TO MAKE
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

Translator:
2,000 YEARS AGO, I THINK
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

WOULD HAVE BEEN
IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE

WITH ANY
OTHER SOIL OR CLAY.

FOR THE FIRST
EMPEROR'S CRAFTSMEN,

FINDING THE RIGHT CLAY
WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE FIRST

BIG CHALLENGE OF MAKING
A LIFE-SIZE WARRIOR.

BUT IT WOULD NOT HAVE SOLVED
AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM...

HOW TO MAKE THOUSANDS
OF THEM... QUICKLY.

THE FIRST EMPEROR
DIED IN 210 B.C.,

ONLY 11 YEARS AFTER HE
ORDERED HIS TERRACOTTA ARMY.

HIS CRAFTSMEN MANAGED
TO FINISH 8,000 WARRIORS

IN JUST 11 YEARS, PRODUCING
MORE THAN 700 PER YEAR.

REPLICA MAKERS TODAY,
USING MODERN TECHNOLOGY,

CAN ONLY PRODUCE
AROUND 200 PER YEAR,

NOT EVEN A THIRD OF WHAT THE
ANCIENT SCULPTORS PRODUCED.

ONE CLUE TO HOW
THE CRAFTSMEN ACCOMPLISHED

THIS IMPOSSIBLE FEAT, COMES
NOT FROM THE STATUES

THEMSELVES, BUT FROM SOMETHING
THEY ONCE HELD IN THEIR HANDS.

YAN FUXING IS A 10th-
GENERATION BOW MAKER.

HE MAKES REPLICAS OF ANCIENT
CHINESE CROSSBOWS

LIKE THE ONES ONCE HELD BY
SOME TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

EVEN TODAY THE HARDEST PART

IS CASTING THE CROSSBOW'S
METAL TRIGGER.

A CHALLENGE THAT'S MADE YAN
DEEPLY RESPECTFUL OF THE MEN

WHO MADE THOSE TRIGGERS
2,000 YEARS AGO.

Translator: WE FOUND
ONE TRIGGER AT ONE CITY

AND ANOTHER TRIGGER AT ANOTHER
CITY THAT IS 2,000 MILES AWAY.

PARTS OF THE TRIGGER
ARE EXCHANGEABLE.

Translator: IN MODERN TERMS
THESE ARE STANDARDIZED PARTS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY
DESIGNED THESE PARTS.

EVEN NOW, THIS
IS NOT AN EASY JOB.

EVEN EXPERIENCED ARTISANS
NEED TO WORK CAREFULLY.

ARCHEOLOGIST LIU ZHANGCHENG
IS AN EXPERT

ON THE WEAPONS FOUND WITH
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

Translator: WE FOUND MORE THAN
30,000 ARROWHEADS IN THE PITS.

WE TESTED THE ARROWHEADS
AND FOUND THAT THE DIFFERENCE

IN THEIR SIZES TO BE LESS
THAN ONE CENTIMETER.

SOME OF THEM ONLY HAVE A
DIFFERENCE OF .22 MILLIMETERS.

THE DIFFERENCE
IS REALLY TINY.

WE KNOW THAT
WEAPON MANUFACTURING
WAS STANDARDIZED.

THE FIRST EMPEROR'S WEAPONS
MAKERS SIGNED THEIR WORK...

AND SO DID
HIS WARRIOR MAKERS.

ARCHAEOLOGIST YUAN ZHONGYI
HAS IDENTIFIED THEIR NAMES.

Translator: IN EACH
OF THE FIGURINES,

YOU CAN FIND THE NAME
OF THE CRAFTSPERSON

IN THE MOST HIDDEN PLACES.

THEY DID THIS IN HOPE
THAT PEOPLE WOULD NEVER
SEE THEIR NAMES.

SIGNING THEIR WORK MEANT
THEY WEREN'T ANONYMOUS,

BUT IT SEEMS THEY
DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE.

Translator: THIS IS TO
ALLOW THEIR MANAGERS

AND SUPERIORS
TO CHECK THEIR WORK.

IF THINGS ARE
NOT CONSTRUCTED WELL,

THE WORKER MAY BE
ASKED TO RE-CRAFT THEM

OR IN THE WORSE
CASE SCENARIO,

GO TO JAIL
OR BE DECAPITATED.

THE WARRIOR MAKERS
HAD 2 MAJOR ADVANTAGES.

THEIR EXPERIENCE WORKING
ON THE IMPERIAL ASSEMBLY LINES

PRODUCING BOWS AND KNOWING
THAT THE LIKELY ALTERNATIVE

TO SUCCESS WAS DEATH.

BOTH WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE HELPED
THEM SOLVE THE IMMENSE PROBLEM

OF MAKING 8,000 LIFE-SIZE
FIGURES IN JUST OVER 10 YEARS.

AFTER YEARS
OF TRIAL AND ERROR,

MODERN REPLICA MAKERS HAVE
LEARNED THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY

TO MASS PRODUCE LARGE
CLAY STATUES QUICKLY.

THEY MUST PUSH
THE CLAY INTO A MOLD,

WAIT 2 OR 3 HOURS
FOR THE CLAY TO HARDEN,

REMOVE THE MOLD AND PROP UP

THE CLAY TORSO
WITH WOODEN STICKS

WHILE WORKERS CARVE DETAILS.

MAKE THE HEADS, HANDS, AND
LEGS IN SEPARATE MOLDS...

LET EVERYTHING DRY OUT
FOR 10 DAYS TO 2 WEEKS

AND THEN FIRE ALL THE PIECES
SEPARATELY IN THE KILN.

THE REPLICA MAKERS NOW KNOW THAT
IF THEY MAKE A WHOLE STATUE,

IT WILL COLLAPSE UNDER ITS
OWN WEIGHT BEFORE IT DRIES

OR FILL WITH HOT AIR AND
EXPLODE IN THE KILN.

Translator: BECAUSE
WE MASS PRODUCE,

MAKING HUNDREDS OR
THOUSANDS OF COPIES

OF ONE STATUE,
MOLDING IS THE ONLY WAY.

AND THAT'S NOT JUST HIS OPINION.

ARCHEOLOGISTS AGREE
THAT 2,000 YEARS AGO

THE FIRST EMPEROR'S
CRAFTSMEN KNEW THAT MOLDING

WAS THE KEY TO EFFICIENT
MASS PRODUCTION.

Translator: MASS PRODUCTION
WAS THE ONLY WAY

TO EXPLAIN THE LARGE NUMBERS
OF ARROWHEADS WE FOUND.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
ARROWHEADS IS TINY.

I THINK THEY USED MOLDS
SO THEY WERE ABLE

TO PRODUCE MASSIVE AMOUNTS

OF ARROWHEADS
WITH TINY DIFFERENCES.

CASE APPARENTLY CLOSED.

IT WOULD APPEAR
THE ANCIENT WARRIOR MAKERS

MAY HAVE MET THE MASS
PRODUCTION CHALLENGE

BY USING MOLDS JUST LIKE
MODERN WARRIOR MAKERS DO.

THERE'S ONLY ONE PROBLEM...

NOTHING SUGGESTS THE ANCIENT
CRAFTSMEN USED MOLDS.

Translator: THIS BROKEN
HALF BODY GIVES US

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION

ABOUT HOW TERRACOTTA
WARRIORS WERE MADE.

WE CAN SEE THE INTERNAL TRACES

OF THE CLAY LAYERS HERE, WHICH
SHOWS HOW THE CLAY COILED UP.

THE SIGN OF HOW
THE CLAY COILED UP

AND JOINED TOGETHER
IS VERY CLEAR.

HERE'S ONE CLAY COIL...
HERE'S ANOTHER CLAY COIL.

ONE COIL AFTER ANOTHER
UNTIL THE CLAY LAYERS

WERE ALL JOINED UP
INSIDE THE BODY.

YOU SEE THIS LAYER,
THIS LAYER,

THIS LAYER, UNTIL
IT REACHES THIS PLACE

NEAR THE BOTTOM,
ONE BY ONE.

SO, THIS IS HOW
A TERRACOTTA WARRIOR IS MADE.

THE ANCIENT EVIDENCE
LEAVES NO DOUBT

THE ORIGINAL TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
WEREN'T STAMPED OUT OF MOLDS.

MOLDS DID PLAY A PART IN MAKING
HANDS, EARS, AND HEADS,

BUT AS INCREDIBLE AS IT SEEMS,

THE BODIES OF ALL
8,000 TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

WERE MADE INDIVIDUALLY BY HAND

AND WITH TECHNIQUES THAT WERE
REVOLUTIONARY FOR THEIR TIME.

Translator: THE ANCIENT
CRAFTSMEN USED A SIMPLE METHOD.

THEY POUNDED THE CLAY
UNTIL IT BECAME SOFT

AND ROLLED THE CLAY
INTO STRIPS.

Translator: THEN THEY COILED
THE CLAY STRIPS UPWARD.

WE CALL THIS METHOD
CLAY COILING.

THE FIRST EMPEROR'S CRAFTSMEN
WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE

IN CHINA TO MAKE
STATUES THIS WAY.

COILING WAS A DIFFICULT WAY

TO MAKE MORE THAN
700 STATUES A YEAR.

ARCHEOLOGIST ZHANG ZHONGLI
HAS DECIDED TO FIND OUT

JUST HOW DIFFICULT
THE TASK WAS BY MAKING

A TERRACOTTA WARRIOR
THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY

WITH REPLICA MAKER HAN PINGZHE
AND HIS MASTER CRAFTSMAN.

Translator: WHEN WE
OPENED OUR BUSINESS,

WE WEREN'T
SURE HOW TO MAKE
A TERRACOTTA WARRIOR.

I READ ABOUT THE
TRADITIONAL CLAY COILING

METHOD AND WE TRIED IT.

IT TOOK US A MONTH
TO FINISH ONE STATUE.

THE HEART OF
THE CHALLENGE... MAKE A FIGURE

THAT IS MORE THAN 6 FEET TALL,

BUT ONLY 1/2 INCH THICK,
THAT WON'T COLLAPSE

UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT,
A DANGER THAT GROWS GREATER

AS THE COILING GETS HIGHER.

SUPPORTING THE FIGURE
WITH WOODEN STICKS HELPS,

BUT THE ONLY REAL SOLUTION

IS TO STOP AND LET
THE CLAY DRY OVER

AND OVER AGAIN BEFORE
MAKING THE STATUE TALLER.

THEY MUST FIND A DELICATE
BALANCE BETWEEN WAITING

LONG ENOUGH FOR THE CLAY TO DRY,

BUT NOT SO LONG IT
DRIES OUT AND CRACKS.

Translator: WHEN I LOOKED
AT THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS,

I WAS AMAZED BY THE ANCIENT
PEOPLE'S ACHIEVEMENT.

MY STATUES COLLAPSED 3 OR 4
TIMES WHEN I FIRST STARTED.

TODAY, MOLDING A WARRIOR
TAKES 10 DAYS TO 2 WEEKS.

COILING ONE CAN TAKE
AS LONG AS A MONTH.

BUT THERE WAS A REASON THE
FIRST EMPEROR'S CRAFTSMEN

CHOSE THE MORE
DIFFICULT METHOD.

WHILE MOLDING MAY BE THE BEST
WAY TO MAKE THE SAME STATUE

OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
THE CRAFTSMEN WEREN'T MAKING

THE SAME STATUE
OVER AND OVER.

THEY WERE MAKING
8,000 UNIQUE ONES.

Translator: IF THESE STATUES
WERE MADE WITH MOLDING,

IT WOULD ONLY BE EFFICIENT
IF WE MADE THE SAME COPY
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

THIS WAS NOT THE GOAL
OF THE ANCIENT PEOPLE.

WITH THE CLAY COILING METHOD,

IT IS EASIER TO MAKE EACH
TERRACOTTA WARRIOR DIFFERENT.

WHETHER IT WAS FAT OR SLIM,

TALL OR SHORT, THE IDEA WAS
TO CREATE A GROUP OF HUMANS.

BUT IF COILING MADE MORE
SENSE FOR INDIVIDUALIZING

THE WARRIORS, IT WAS
STILL A SLOWER PROCESS.

THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY
TO INCREASE THE NUMBER

OF STATUES PRODUCED AND THE
FIRST EMPEROR KNEW IT.

EXPERTS BELIEVE HE MADE HIS
TERRACOTTA ARMY THE SAME WAY

HE BUILT HIS GIGANTIC TOMB...
WITH MASSIVE MAN POWER.

ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND
87 DIFFERENT NAMES

STAMPED ON
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

SO, 87 MASTER CRAFTSMEN

MUST HAVE BEEN IN CHARGE
OF MAKING THEM.

A TEAM OF APPRENTICES WOULD HAVE
WORKED UNDER EACH MASTER.

EXPERTS ESTIMATE
10 APPRENTICES

PER TEAM MAKING
AT LEAST 87 TEAMS,

WITH NEARLY 1,000 WORKERS.

COILING ONE STATUE EVERY MONTH,

EACH TEAM COULD HAVE FINISHED
12 WARRIORS EVERY YEAR

AND ALL 8,000 IN ONLY 8 YEARS.

BUT TODAY'S REPLICA MAKERS KNOW
THAT HAVING A HUGE LABOR FORCE

WOULDN'T HAVE SOLVED
YET ANOTHER DIFFICULTY...

A PROBLEM THAT
COULD HAVE DESTROYED

THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
AND THEIR STATUES.

IN NORTHERN CHINA,
WINTER TEMPERATURES
PLUNGE BELOW FREEZING...

WHILE IN THE SUMMER
THEY SOAR INTO THE 90s.

BOTH EXTREME COLD AND
EXTREME HEAT WILL RUIN

CLAY STATUES BEFORE
THEY CAN HARDEN.

Translator:
FROM LONG EXPERIENCE,

I THINK
THE COILING METHOD

THAT WAS USED
2,000 YEARS AGO,

COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE
AT SUCH TEMPERATURES.

Translator: IDEALLY, THE
TEMPERATURE NEEDS TO BE

MAINTAINED AT AROUND
20 DEGREES CELSIUS.

WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF MODERN
HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS,

THE ANCIENT WARRIOR MAKERS
FACED A STARK CHOICE...

FIND A WAY TO
KEEP THEIR WORKSHOPS

AT 68 DEGREES ALL YEAR ROUND

OR STOP WORK FOR
6 MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE
WHAT THEY DID.

BUT REPLICA MAKER ZHANG
BINRUO HAS HIS OWN THEORY.

CAVE HOUSES, DUG OUT OF
HILLSIDES BY FARMERS

LIVING NEAR THE FIRST
EMPEROR'S TOMB.

WARM IN WINTER, COOL IN SUMMER,

THEY'RE IDEAL PLACES TO
LIVE WHILE TENDING CROPS.

ZHANG BELIEVED THAT
2,000 YEARS AGO

THEY WERE ALSO IDEAL PLACES
TO MAKE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

Translator: IN THE SUMMER,
THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE

MAY REACH
30 DEGREES CELSIUS.

INSIDE THE CAVE HOUSE,

IT MAY ONLY BE 20
TO 25 DEGREES CELSIUS.

IN THE WINTER OUTSIDE MAY BE
MINUS 10 DEGREES CELSIUS,

WHILE THE CAVE HOUSE
REMAINS AT 15 TO 20 DEGREES.

Translator: THEY SCULPTED
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
IN CAVE HOUSES...

THEN FIRED THE STATUES
BY SEALING THE ENTRY
OF THE CAVE HOUSE

AND TURNING IT INTO A KILN,

SO THEY COULD FIRE
THE STATUES INSIDE.

TODAY'S WARRIOR MAKERS
STRUGGLES PROVIDE INSIGHT

INTO THE IMMENSE CHALLENGES
FACING THE CREATORS

OF THE CLAY ARMY...

SCULPTING 8,000 WARRIORS
IN JUST OVER A DECADE,

NO 2 OF THEM ALIKE WITHOUT
HAVING DONE SO BEFORE.

BUT EVIDENCE ALSO SHOWS
THERE WAS FAR MORE

TO PRODUCING THE STATUES
THAN SIMPLY SCULPTING THEM.

TO SATISFY THEIR EMPEROR,

THE ANCIENT WARRIOR MAKERS HAD
TO MEET ONE MORE CHALLENGE.

TODAY, EXPERTS
ARE RECONSTRUCTING

THE FINAL WORK THAT FINISHED
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

WHAT THEY'VE DISCOVERED
HAS DELIGHTED SOME

AND STUNNED OTHERS.

AFTER MORE THAN 35 YEARS,

EXPERTS HAVE LEARNED
A GREAT DEAL

ABOUT RESTORING THE
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

BUT THEY'RE STILL
UNABLE TO PREVENT

AN ARCHEOLOGICAL TRAGEDY.

THE WARRIORS EMERGED
FROM THE EARTH

BARRING TRACES
OF BRILLIANT COLOR.

BUT THOSE COLORS VANISHED
WITHIN A WEEK,

SOMETIMES MINUTES
AFTER EXCAVATION.

CONSERVATION EXPERT ZHOU TIEHAI
AND HIS TEAM RACE TO SAVE

WHAT THEY CAN...

WORKING ON NEWLY EXCAVATED
TERRACOTTA WARRIOR FRAGMENTS

FRESH FROM THE GROUND AFTER
MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS.

Translator:
WHEN PEOPLE CREATED
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

2,000 YEARS AGO, ALL THE
PITS WERE FULL OF COLOR.

WHEN WE EXCAVATED, THE
PAINTS WERE ALMOST GONE.

ONLY SMALL AREAS
OF PAINT REMAINED

AND THOSE WERE
IN POOR CONDITION.

THE PAINT CAN EASILY FALL
OFF AFTER EXCAVATION.

FOR YEARS AN INTERNATIONAL
ALLIANCE OF EXPERTS

FROM CHINA AND GERMANY
HAS BATTLED TO SAVE

THE TERRACOTTA
WARRIORS' COLORS.

IT IS A BATTLE THEY
STILL HAVEN'T WON,

BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE
IDENTIFIED THE ENEMY.

A SYRUP-LIKE SUBSTANCE
WITH A PUNGENT SMELL,

IT WAS ONE OF ANCIENT CHINA'S
MOST COVETED TREASURES...

LACQUER.

ACCORDING TO GERMAN CONSERVATOR
CATHARINA BLAENSDORF,

EVERY ONE OF THE 8,000
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

GOT A COATING OF LACQUER
FROM HEAD TO TOE.

LACQUER IS A VERY
STABLE MATERIAL

AND ALSO IN THE
ANTIQUITY THEY KNEW

THAT IT CAN SURVIVE
CENTURIES OR EVEN LONGER.

SO IT HAD TECHNICAL
REASONS, BUT ALSO

AS TACTICAL REASONS
AND REASONS OF MEANING.

LACQUER WAS AND STILL
REMAINS A VALUABLE SUBSTANCE.

2,000 YEARS AGO IT WAS
THE ANCIENT WORLD'S PLASTIC.

A HARD RESIN THAT PROTECTS
WHATEVER IT COVERS FROM DECAY.

AND WHEN IT DRIES, ITS
BROWN COLOR TRANSFORMS

INTO A GLOSSY SHEEN
NOTHING ELSE COULD EQUAL.

Catharina: LACQUER WARES
WERE A LUXURY GOODS

THAT PROBABLY WAS SO
EXPENSIVE THAT ONLY

THE EMPEROR COULD AFFORD
TO LACQUER A WHOLE ARMY.

FOR THE ANCIENT CHINESE,
ITS VALUE WAS DERIVED

FROM MORE THAN JUST ITS
STRENGTH AND BEAUTY,

IT WAS ALSO
DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN.

THE SAP OF THE LACQUER
TREE CAN'T BE HARVESTED

UNTIL THE TREE IS
6 YEARS OLD AND EVEN THEN,

ONLY FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER

WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM.

SOME EXPERTS BELIEVE IT
WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE SAP

OF 25 TREES TO LACQUER JUST
ONE TERRACOTTA WARRIOR...

AND AS MANY AS 200,000 TREES
TO FINISH ALL OF THEM.

THAT'S BECAUSE LACQUER
HARVESTERS CAN TAKE ONLY

ABOUT 10 GRAMS
OF SAP FROM EACH TREE,

JUST ENOUGH TO FILL AN EGG CUP.

AND YOU CAN'T TAKE VERY
MUCH BECAUSE, OTHERWISE,
THE TREE WILL DIE.

SO, YOU DO IT ONCE
AND YOU HAD TO HEAL AND
THEN YOU CONTINUED.

THE LACQUER TREES AREN'T
THE ONLY ONES AT RISK.

LACQUER TREES ARE RELATED TO
POISON IVY AND POISON SUMAC.

TOUCHING THE SAP OR EVEN
JUST BREATHING ITS FUMES

CAN CAUSE EXTREME DISCOMFORT.

I TRIED TO WORK
WITH THE LACQUER
SEVERAL TIMES

JUST TO EXPERIMENT
AND IN THE BEGINNING

NOT MUCH HAPPENED,
BUT THEN TWICE THERE

WAS A STRONG REACTION
WHERE REALLY MY HANDS

AND MY WHOLE FACE WAS
COVERED WITH THIS RASH.

IT'S NOT PAINFUL, IT'S
JUST ITCHING AND YOU

HAVE TO CONTROL YOURSELF
A LOT NOT TO SCRATCH.

HA HA HA.

AND WHAT NORMALLY
HAPPENS IS THAT YOU
GET THIS REACTION

SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN
THERE'S AN IMMUNIZATION,

SO AFTERWARDS YOU DON'T
GET IT ANYMORE.

OR SO SHE THOUGHT.

BREATHING LACQUER FUMES
DURING THIS INTERVIEW

TRIGGERED ANOTHER
REACTION 2 DAYS LATER.

THE FIRST EMPEROR'S WORKERS
WERE FORCED TO EXPOSE

THEMSELVES TO POISONOUS
LACQUER ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND 21st CENTURY RESEARCHERS
MUST NOW WORK WITH THE TOXIC

SAP SO THEY CAN SAVE THE COLORS
ON THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT
THE LACQUER LAYER

WAS EMBEDDED IN THE WET
SOIL FOR 2,200 YEARS.

AS SOON AS EXCAVATION
EXPOSES THE ANCIENT LACQUER

TO AIR, ITS MOISTURE BEGINS
TO EVAPORATE.

AS THE LACQUER DRIES OUT,
IT BEGINS TO SHRINK

UNTIL IT CURLS UP
AND SEPARATES

FROM THE CLAY,
TAKING PAINT WITH IT.

FINALLY, THE LACQUER
LAYERS JUST FLAKE OFF

IN TINY FLAKES AND
THEN THERE'S NO CHANCE

TO BRING THEM BACK
TO THE TERRACOTTA.

THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO
KEEP THE LACQUER MOIST

SO THAT IT WILL STAY
ATTACHED TO THE TERRACOTTA.

ITS WATER MUST BE REPLACED BY
SOMETHING THAT WON'T EVAPORATE.

ONE GROUP OF GERMAN
SCIENTISTS HAS TRIED COATING

WARRIOR FRAGMENTS WITH
A PLASTIC USED TO SEAL
UNDERGROUND WATER PIPES...

THEN BOMBARDING THE PLASTIC
WITH ELECTRON BEAMS

FROM A PARTICLE ACCELERATOR...

WHICH EVAPORATES THE WATER

AND BONDS THE PLASTIC
TO THE LACQUER.

BUT THAT CAN'T BE DONE BY
ARCHEOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD,

WHO MAY HAVE ONLY MINUTES
TO SAVE A PAINTED WARRIOR.

WE HOPE THAT
WE WILL FIND A METHOD
THAT IS SIMPLE

AND STEEP, EASY TO APPLY

DURING THE EXCAVATION
AND THAT HELPS TO PRESERVE

THE LACQUER LAYERS
IN THE FIRST MOMENT.

WHILE SAVING THE WARRIORS'
COLORS SEEMS DIFFICULT,

RECONSTRUCTING WHAT THEY
ORIGINALLY LOOKED LIKE

MAY BE AN EVEN
GREATER CHALLENGE.

THE ONLY CLUES ARE FADED
FRAGMENTS OF TERRACOTTA,

BITS OF PAINT FOUND IN SOIL AND
DECADES' OLD EXCAVATION REPORTS.

BUT NOW VISITORS TO
A MUNICH MUSEUM CAN SEE

WHAT THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE.

AFTER YEARS OF
PAINSTAKING RESEARCH,

CATHARINA BLAENSDORF AND HER
COLLEAGUES HAVE PAINTED

2 WARRIOR REPLICAS AS
THEY BELIEVED THEY LOOKED

WHEN THEY WERE FINISHED
MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO.

MANY PEOPLE
WERE ASTONISHED AND
SURPRISED BECAUSE

THEY DIDN'T EXPECT THEM
TO BE SO COLORFUL.

AND SOME PEOPLE WERE
ALSO REALLY SHOCKED

BECAUSE... SOMEHOW
THEY JUST LIKED

THE TERRACOTTA VERSION
AND THEY FOUND IT'S

KIND OF DISTURBING IT
OR BREAKING IT UP

AND THEY REALLY
ASKED ME...
THEY ASKED ME,

"ARE YOU REALLY
SURE THAT IT HAS
TO BE LIKE THIS?"

IT'S BASED
ON OUR FINDINGS,

SO WE ARE PRETTY SURE
THAT THIS IS TRUE

AND THEY JUST HAVE
TO GET USED TO IT.

AND WE TELL THEM THAT,
OF COURSE,

WE ARE NOT GOING TO
REPAINT THE ORIGINALS.

BUT THERE ARE EVEN MORE
COMPLEX MYSTERIES

SURROUNDING THE WARRIORS.

WHEN THEY ANALYZED
SURVIVING COLOR FRAGMENTS,

CONSERVATIONS EXPERTS MADE
AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY.

ONE OF THOSE ANCIENT COLORS
DIFFERED FROM THE OTHERS.

KNOWN AS CHINESE PURPLE,

IT HAS UNIQUE AND
SURPRISING PROPERTIES.

HALF-WAY AROUND THE WORLD,

RESEARCHERS AT STAMFORD
UNIVERSITY ARE USING

THE WORLD'S MOST
POWERFUL X-RAY MACHINE

TO STUDY THOSE PROPERTIES.

A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS
HAS FOCUSED

A LIGHT ONE BILLION TIMES
BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN

ON A FEW FLAKES
OF CHINESE PURPLE,

TRYING TO FIND OUT EXACTLY
WHAT THEY'RE MADE OF.

NOW ACTUALLY WE KNOW

WE HAVE THE FIRST
CONCRETE MATERIAL
EVIDENCE.

ZHI LIU, APORVA MEHTA,
AND NOBUMICHI TAMURA

ARE ALL PHYSICISTS...

BUT THEY'VE SET OUT TO SOLVE
AN ARCHEOLOGICAL MYSTERY.

WE'RE LOOKING
AT ONE CLAMP

OF THE CHINESE
PURPLE PIGMENTS

AND THE SIZE IS
AROUND 15 MICROBES,

SO IT'S ABOUT YOUR... THE
CROSS SECTION OF YOUR HAIR.

FROM A VERY TINY SAMPLE
YOU CAN TELL A VERY BIG STORY.

CHINESE PURPLE IS ONE
OF ONLY 2 ENTIRELY

MANMADE COLORS PRODUCED
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

BEFORE THE BIRTH OF JESUS.

THE OTHER WAS EGYPTIAN BLUE,

CREATED BY CHEMISTS WORKING
FOR THE PHARAOHS,

THOUSANDS OF MILES
FROM CHINA AND CENTURIES

BEFORE THE SILK ROAD OPENED
UP TRADE BETWEEN CHINA

AND THE WEST.

PEOPLE SPECULATE THERE'S
A TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

FROM EGYPT TO CHINA
BECAUSE THE SIMILARITY

BETWEEN THOSE 2 MATERIALS,

WHICH IS REALLY
SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS

OF THE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

AND THE COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN 2 CIVILIZATIONS.

STAMFORD'S POWERFUL
X-RAY MACHINE CONFIRMS

THAT CHINESE PURPLE AND
EGYPTIAN BLUE SHARED

ALL THE SAME INGREDIENTS,
WITH 2 EXCEPTIONS.

EGYPTIAN BLUE
CONTAINS CALCIUM,

WHILE CHINESE PURPLE
HAS BARIUM IN IT.

AND THE CHINESE
ALSO ADDED SOMETHING

THE EGYPTIANS NEVER USED...
LEAD OXIDE.

IT INDICATES
THAT THE CHINESE

REALLY
ACTUALLY INVENTED
THE CHINESE PURPLE

COMPLETELY INDEPENDENTLY
FROM THE EGYPTIANS.

THERE WAS NO TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFERS AT ALL HERE.

AND THAT TOLD US THAT
THE TECHNOLOGY THEY USED

FOR FORMING THIS MATERIAL
WAS VERY UNIQUE.

IF IT WASN'T BROUGHT
FROM EGYPT, THAT MEANS

THE CHINESE CREATED THE PIGMENT
USING THEIR OWN METHODS.

THE TEAM BELIEVES THESE
METHODS WERE NOT DEVELOPED

FOR ART OR SCIENCE,
BUT FOR RELIGION.

THIS BURIAL SUIT WAS MADE
FOR A CHINESE LEADER WHO WENT

TO HIS GRAVE NOT LONG AFTER
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

WENT TO THEIRS.

A SUIT MADE OF THOUSANDS
OF PIECES OF JADE.

2,000 YEARS AGO THE CHINESE
ELITE BELIEVED JADE

WOULD MAGICALLY
MAKE THEM IMMORTAL.

THEY PAID ALCHEMISTS TO FIND
A FORMULA FOR MAKING JADE.

THE ALCHEMISTS CREATED A JADE
LOOK-ALIKE CALLED CHINESE GLASS,

MADE WITH BARIUM AND LEAD,

THE 2 KEY INGREDIENTS
OF CHINESE PURPLE.

AS THEY SEARCH FOR THE
SECRETS OF IMMORTALITY,

DID THEY ALSO CREATE
CHINESE PURPLE?

CHINESE GLASS AND
CHINESE PURPLE

HAVE NEARLY IDENTICAL
CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS

AND THEIR APPARENT CONNECTION
DOESN'T END THERE.

AROUND 250 A.D.,

SOME 500 YEARS AFTER
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

WERE MADE, CHINA'S RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS BEGAN TO CHANGE.

PEOPLE NO LONGER BURIED
THEMSELVES IN JADE

TO MAKE THEIR BODIES
IMMORTAL.

CHINESE GLASS DISAPPEARED.

AND CHINESE PURPLE VANISHED
AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME.

IT WAS NEVER MADE AGAIN.

IT WOULD SEEM CHINESE PURPLE
HAS A SACRED PAST,

FITTING FOR WARRIORS
MEANT TO ACCOMPANY

THE EMPEROR
INTO THE AFTERLIFE.

AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES,

ANOTHER POWERFUL SCIENTIFIC
TOOL HAS REVEALED

THAT CHINESE PURPLES
POTENTIAL MIGHT LEAD

TO FANTASTIC TECHNOLOGICAL
BREAKTHROUGHS.

IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA,

SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT
THE TERRACOTTA WARRIOR'S

PURPLE PAINT IS MUCH MORE
THAN JUST A BEAUTIFUL COLOR.

THEY MADE THEIR DISCOVERY HERE...

THE NATIONAL HIGH
MAGNETIC FIELD LABORATORY,

HOME OF THE 45T HYBRID, THE
WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL MAGNET.

IT PACKS 45 TESLAS
OF MAGNETIC FORCE.

FACILITY DIRECTOR ERIC PALM

HAS A SIMPLE WAY OF SHOWING
WHAT 45 TESLAS CAN DO.

IF I TAKE THIS STEEL WASHER
CLOSER TO THE MAGNET,

YOU CAN SEE THAT
IT WILL BE PULLED AND
ATTRACTED TO THE MAGNET.

I BELIEVE THAT
THE STORED ENERGY

IS ABOUT 20 STICKS OF DYNAMITE.

IT'S DANGEROUS ENOUGH THAT
WE DON'T TYPICALLY ALLOW

PEOPLE TO... THAT HAVE NOT BEEN
TRAINED TO BE AROUND THE MAGNET.

WE DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING
TOURS WHERE THEY CAN SEE

THE MAGNET JUST IN CASE
SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS.

SCIENTISTS FROM
AROUND THE WORLD

LIKE SUCHITRA SEBASTIAN
OF CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY,

USE THE MAGNET
IN THEIR RESEARCH.

LOAD JUST ABOUT
ANY MATERIAL ON EARTH

INTO THIS MAGNET'S CORE AND
THEN PUMP IN LIQUID HELIUM

TO COOL IT DOWN TO HUNDREDS
OF DEGREES BELOW ZERO.

THE 45T HYBRID'S POWER WILL
FORCE THE MATERIAL TO REVEAL

ITS HIDDEN
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES.

IN 2006, SUCHITRA SEBASTIAN
AND NEIL HARRISON PUT

A FEW FLAKES OF CHINESE
PURPLE INTO THE MAGNET'S

CORE AND SAW SOMETHING
ASTONISHING.

INSIDE THE MAGNET, THE MOLECULES
OF CHINESE PURPLE BECAME

A SINGLE MAGNETIC WAVE,

A UNIQUE STATE IN THE WORLD
OF QUANTUM PHYSICS.

THE TEAM DROPPED
THE TEMPERATURE EVEN FURTHER

AND THE MAGNETIC WAVE
LOST ITS THIRD DIMENSION,

SEPARATING INTO INDIVIDUAL
2-DIMENSIONAL PLANES.

WELL, WHEN
I FIRST SAW THIS,

I GUESS WE WERE
JUST IN DISBELIEF.

IT WAS A BIG SURPRISE.

I MEAN, UH, IT WAS A TOTALLY
NEW TYPE OF DISCOVERY.

A DISCOVERY THAT MIGHT
CHANGE THE WORLD.

BECAUSE STUDYING SHIFTS FROM
3 DIMENSIONS DOWN TO 2

COULD HELP MAKE BETTER
SUPER CONDUCTORS

AND BETTER SUPER
CONDUCTORS COULD MEAN

MORE EFFICIENT
MAGNETIC TRAINS,

LOWER ELECTRICITY BILLS,
AND FASTER COMPUTERS.

IT'S INCREDIBLE TO THINK
THAT THIS MATERIAL

THAT'S BEEN AROUND
FOR MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS

THAT WAS INITIALLY DISCOVERED

AND, IN FACT, CREATED
BY CHINESE CHEMISTS

AND HAS BEEN ON THIS TERRACOTTA
ARMY FOR 2,000 YEARS.

IT'S INCREDIBLE TO THINK THAT
WE'VE REVISITED THIS MATERIAL,

SOMETHING THAT'S A FUNDAMENTAL
ADVANCE IN OUR UNDERSTANDING

IN OUR 21st CENTURY
KNOWLEDGE OF PHYSICS

AND THAT'S JUST MIND BLOWING.

AND THERE MAY STILL
BE OTHER MYSTERIES

CONCEALED WITHIN
THIS ANCIENT ARMY.

MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO,

THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
WERE AN EMPEROR'S VISION

AND A BRILLIANT
TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIEVEMENT.

TODAY, SCIENTISTS ARE
REVEALING JUST HOW BRILLIANT

THAT ACHIEVEMENT WAS

AND SEARCHING FOR OTHER
MYSTERIES HIDDEN

WITHIN THESE
ANCIENT MASTERPIECES.

"SECRETS OF THE DEAD" WAS
MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS

TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

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