In this activity, students will take on the role of archaeologists and use visual evidence to make inferences about the different roles of figures which are recently found in the elaborate tomb complex of China's First Emperor, Qin Shihuang (259 – 210 BCE). Students will engage in various looking activities to be able to analyze what these objects may reveal about his values, how he saw himself, and how he saw his world.

Objects found in Emperor Qin Shihuang’s elaborate tomb complex, which covers a total area of 17.6 square miles and contains over 7,000 terracotta figures, make up the majority of surviving objects from this significant period in Chinese history. They are some of the best archaeological evidence researchers have for understanding the spiritual beliefs, military practices, and values of the ruler responsible for unifying China for the first time in its history. They are some of the best archaeological evidence researchers have for understanding the spiritual beliefs, military practices, and values of the ruler responsible for unifying China for the first time in its history.

Authors of this collection are the Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum.

Keywords: archaeology, archaeologist, ancient history, artifact, afterlife, funerary practices, burial, death, spiritual beliefs, military, soldier, sculpture, chinese, world, asia, asian, xi'an, empire, cross-cultural comparison, terra cotta, qin shi huang, shihuangdi, shi huang di, earthenware, ceramics, pottery, terracotta army, new discoveries.