Terracotta Army pit 2 was discovered on April 23, 1976. It is located 20 meters north of the eastern end of Pit 1. Excavations began on March 1, 1994, and the site was opened to the public on October 14 of the same year in the form of “excavation and display”. According to analysis, it is estimated that more than 1,300 pieces of terracotta figurines and horses, 89 chariots and tens of thousands of bronze weapons can be unearthed after complete excavation, among which terracotta figurines of generals, saddle horses and kneeling figurines are found for the first time.

Architectural Structure

Terracotta Army Pit No. 2 is an underground alleyway-style adobe building with a curved ruler-shaped plan. It is 96 meters long from east to west and 84 meters wide from north to south, with an area of about 6,000 square meters, equivalent to half of Pit No. 1. There are four sloping doorways at the east and west ends and two sloping doorways at the north. The terracotta pit sits on the west side and the main entrance is on the east side. The architecture of the Terracotta Warriors Pit was carefully designed according to the different types of soldiers, and the three-dimensional structure and construction method of the building are the same as those of Pit No. 1.

Military Formation

The discovery of Pit 2, the essence of the Terracotta Army Pit, has unlocked the mystery of ancient military formations. It has a more complex arrangement of military formations and more complete types of soldiers. It is the most spectacular military formation among the three pits. It is divided into four types: chariot formation, cavalry formation, crossbow formation and mixed chariot, infantry and cavalry formation. The four smaller formations form a curved formation, forming a layout of ‘formation within a formation and battalion within a battalion’. This can be described as a mixed force with complex organization and clear division of labor.

The first unit, the eastern protruding part, is composed of kneeling and standing archers. The second unit is the southern half of the terracotta pit, which is composed of a team of chariots forming a chariot formation. The third unit is the central part of the terracotta pit, which is a combination of chariot, infantry and cavalry figurines in a long square. The fourth unit, the northern half of the terracotta pit, is a long square formation composed of many cavalrymen. The four squares are organically combined, with a mixed formation of chariots, cavalry and archer. They can be used for attacking and defending. It is tight and orderly, and flawless.

Painted Terracotta Figurines　　

The archaeologists excavated several painted terracotta figurines in Pit 2, and the painted colors are well preserved. Among them are kneeling figurines, standing figurines, and the rare kneeling green-faced figurines. In addition to the black hair, beard and pupils, the green face is painted green with stone green pigment. When they were unearthed, some of them were crouching in their original position, some were lying down peacefully, and some were still buried in the earth, half revealing their face. The posture is robust, the image is vivid and realistic, and the color is dazzling.

When archaeologists analyzed the chemical composition of the colorful terracotta figurines painted, they found a chemical compound, copper barium silicate, in the purple color. This is a by-product obtained by chance in the 1980s during the research of synthetic superconducting materials, which has not been found in nature. The discovery of this compound on the painted terracotta warriors and horses proves that more than 2200 years ago China had mastered the technology of artificially manufacturing raw materials by synthetic means. This is another miracle in the world history of science and technology.