14 11 月 The Stable Pits of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang
A stable, as it was called, was a place where horses were kept. A large number of stable pits have been found in the tomb of the First Emperor of Qin. In these places, which symbolize the raising of horses at the court of the First Emperor during his lifetime, a large number of real horses and terracotta figurines simulating horse-keepers were unearthed, who would have been equipped for the Emperor’s soul in the underground kingdom.
The stable pits were first discovered in 1976 in the area of Shangjiao village, 350 metres east of the outer city of the Qin Shi Huangdi tomb. According to the latest findings so far, there are more than 200 stable pits in this area. They are arranged in three close rows in a north-south direction and 37 of them have been excavated so far.
These pits are divided into three categories, separate horse pits, pits for sitting figurines and pits for figurines and horses together. The experts found that some of the horses’ legs were placed in pre dug holes at the bottom of the pits, with their necks stuck in grooves in the earthwork at the front of the pits, so it appears that they were buried alive. Other horses were found struggling on all fours, and there were signs of rope ties, so it seems that they were also buried alive. Apart from the horses, the terracotta figurines in the pit are all kneel sitting – a sitting position with their hips on their calves and heels – and their faces are humble, suggesting that they were of a lower status and would have been the general servants who kept the horses.
In addition to the horses and kneel sitting figurines, the stable pits also contain a large number of burial objects placed in front of the horses and figurines in a certain combination. There are earthenware pots for holding fodder, earthenware jars for drinking water for the horses, earthenware lamps for feeding the horses at night and iron axes for chopping grass, all of which were essential for feeding the horses. Interestingly, grain and straw have also been found in individual pots, confirming this claim of horse feeding equipment.
Experts have also found inscriptions on some of the pots and jars with the names ‘Great Stable’, ‘Middle Stable’, ‘Small Stable’, ‘Palace Stable’ and ‘Left Stable’, which are the names of five different central stables, again clearly indicating that these pits symbolise the central stables of the Qin Empire, also known as the ‘Imperial Stables’ and ‘Palace Stables’.
From archaeological data and ancient documents, it appears that there were 12 central stables during the lifetime of Qin Shi Huang, and five of them are present in the 37 stable pits cleared so far. We believe that with further excavations at a later stage, more central stables will be unearthed, providing us with a vivid recreation of the palace stables where horses were kept during the lifetime of Qin Shi Huang.