The Mausoleum Complex of Emperor Qin Shihuang

Abstract The archaeological discovery of the Terracotta Army within the mausoleum complex of Emperor Qin Shihuang in 1974 and subsequent research on the site have greatly expanded our knowledge of the first empire of China. In the past, this knowledge was mainly derived from the Shiji, or Historical Records, written by Sima Qian in the 1st century BCE. Over the past five decades, archaeological fieldwork at the mausoleum complex has revealed a large quantity of auxiliary pits and tombs with a variety of material remains that have challenged previous ideas about art, technology, and beliefs during the Qin period.

Given its importance and size, the site has seen both individual and collaborative research, usually in multidisciplinary and often international teams. As archaeological fieldwork, conservation efforts, and question-led research are all important for understanding the complex, national and international collaborative teams have carried out projects and made contributions from different perspectives to the study of the Qin mausoleum and Qin Empire. At the same time, the site itself has held numerous surprises, challenging long-held views about technology and society in the Qin period and requiring the reconsideration of written sources.

The present chapter will introduce the site, its finds, and the research conducted there. It will also shed light on new methods and approaches employed by the cooperative teams in archaeological survey, excavation, conservation, and research, and their broader impact on Chinese archaeology as a discipline.