Weapons of the Terracotta Army

This lecture will take place in person at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds and online.

Speaker: Dr Xiuzhen (Janice) Li, Research Fellow, UCL

Archaeologists have discovered a vast array of weapons that equipped the Terracotta Army of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi (259-210 BC). While not unusual to find weaponry as part of an ancient burial, archaeologists were stunned to discover all kinds of bronze weapons in real battle formation with the terracotta warriors.

In this lecture, join leading researcher Dr Xiuzhen Li as she relates her story of this impressive archaeological feat. The bronze weapons betray the knowledge of early artisans, with some examples even having the name of their maker carved onto the weapons surface.

From swords for generals, lances for infantry, crossbows for cavalry, halberds for chariots, and heavy bolts and triggers for crossbowmen, the preservation and discovery of thousands of well-preserved weapons and terracotta warriors provides a rare glimpse into the military strategy, battle formation, and weapon production of early imperial China over 2,000 years ago.