"Forum of Xuzhou Museum" Phase 21: Dialogue of Terra-cotta Warriors of Qin and Han Dynasty Beyond Time and Space

       Introduction:

      Special lecture on May 18th International Museum Day:

      Dialogue of Terra-cotta Warriors of Qin and Han Dynasty Beyond Time and Space

      Brief introduction of lecture content:

      The achievements of the excavation, research and display of the Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty are brilliant in the archaeological cause of New China and have attracted worldwide attention. The Terra-cotta Warriors of the Qin are hailed as the "eighth wonder of the world" and "one of the great discoveries in the history of archeology in the twentieth century". Together with the Tomb of the First Emperor of Qin, they have been included in the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO. They are treasures for China and beyond.

      The Terra-cotta Warriors of Qin have rich historical and cultural connotations, giving people inspiration. There are approximately 8,000 pottery figurines and horses in Pit Nos.1, 2, and 3, with different arms such as chariots, cavalry and infantry, arranged according to the ancient army formations. Pit No.1 is a rectangular army array of chariots and infantry. Pit No.2 is a curved formation composed of multiple arms. Pit No.3 is the commander of Pit Nos. 1 and 2. They together organically formed a huge army formation system. It is a vivid map of the ancient army and a true microcosm of the Qin Dynasty army.

      Xuzhou Han Terra-cotta Army is located near Shizishan in the eastern suburbs of Xuzhou. In December 1984, more than 4,800 terra-cotta warriors and horses of Western Han were unearthed, which are of great significance to the study of ancient military history in China. As the burial figurines of King Chu, the facial expressions of all the pottery figurines were more sorrowful and solemn, demonstrating the outstanding craftsmanship and artistic expression of the craftsmen at that time.

      On the morning of May 18th, Xuzhou Museum will invite Mr. Wang Xueli, the researcher of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, to explain the military connotation of the Terra-cotta Warriors of Qin. At the same time, Mr. Wang Kai, the former curator of the Han Terra-cotta Warriors Museum of Xuzhou, will be invited to have a dialogue with Mr. Wang Xueli on the discovery and research of Terra-cotta Warriors of the Qin and Han Dynasties, so stay tuned!

      Speaker profile:

      Wang Xueli, male, from Pucheng County, Shaanxi Province, graduated from the Department of History of Northwest University in 1960, majoring in archeology. He is a researcher at the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Research Institute, and a librarian at the Cultural and Historical Research Museum of the Shaanxi Provincial Government Counselor. He has successively served as the director of the Qin and Han Research Offices of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, and the captain of archeological teams as Terra-cotta Warriors of Qin. He is currently an adjunct professor and postgraduate tutor of the Northwest University's College of Cultural Studies, a consultant to the Xianyang Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, and a consultant to the Chinese Qin Culture Research Association. He has carried out archeological investigations and researches on many sites and tombs in and outside Shaanxi Province, and has participated in the planning and shooting of many historical, cultural, and television films. He once served as the cultural and historical director of CCTV-10 documentary film "The Emperor's Tomb".

      He has published 30 monographs, 3 historical and archeological readings, 1 archeological picture book, and 2 "Shanxi Archaeological Literature Catalogue". He has published more than 150 academic papers, scientific and educational articles, about a total of about 15 million words.

      He has visited Sweden, Norway, Austria, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the United States and other countries, and made academic exchanges.