2012年6月11日 星期一

百來尊新兵馬俑 China unearths over 100 new terracotta warriors

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is a UNESCO World Heritage site (AFP/File)


China unearths over 100 new terracotta warriors
BEIJING — Chinese archaeologists have unearthed 110 new terracotta warriors that laid buried for centuries, an official said Monday, part of the famed army built to guard the tomb of China's first emperor.
The life-size figures were excavated near the Qin Emperor's mausoleum in China's northern Xi'an city over the course of three years, and archaeologists also uncovered 12 pottery horses, parts of chariots, weapons and tools.
"The... excavation on the 200-square-metre (2,152-square-feet) site has found a total of 110 terracotta figurines," Shen Maosheng from the Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum -- which oversees the tomb -- told AFP.
"The most significant discovery this time around is that the relics that were found were well-preserved and colourfully painted," Shen, deputy head of the museum's archaeology department, said.
He added that archaeologists had pinpointed the location of another 11 warriors but had yet to unearth them.
The discovery is the latest in China's cultural sector, after experts found that the Great Wall of China -- which like the Terracotta Army is a UNESCO World Heritage site -- was much longer than previously thought.
Shen said experts had expected the colours on some of the warriors and wares uncovered at the site to have faded over the centuries, and were surprised to see how well preserved they still were.
The finds also included a shield that was reportedly used by soldiers in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), with red, green and white geometric patterns.
Qin Shihuang -- the Qin emperor who had the army built -- presided over the unification of China in 221 BC and is seen as the first emperor of the nation.
The ancient terracotta army was discovered in 1974 by a peasant digging a well. It represents one of the greatest archaeological finds of modern times, and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987.
The news comes after a five-year archaeological survey found the Great Wall of China was more than double the previously estimated length.
The survey -- released to the public last week -- found the wall was 21,196 kilometres (13,170 miles) long, compared to an official 2009 figure of 8,851 kilometres.
Beijing authorities on Saturday also reiterated plans to open two new sections of the Great Wall to tourists and expand two other existing areas to help meet booming demand.




 《中英對照讀新聞》Chinese archaeologists unearth 2,400-year-old soup 中國考古學家挖掘出2400年的湯 ◎自由時報 國際新聞中心

The liquid and bones were in a sealed bronze cooking vessel dug up near the ancient capital of Xian - home to the country’s famed terracotta warriors. Tests are being carried out to identify the ingredients. An odourless liquid, believed to be wine, was also found.
在中國著名兵馬俑故鄉古都西安出土的密封銅製烹調器皿中,發現液體與骨頭。裡面的成分正在辨識,這裡同時也發現一種無味的液體,據信應該是酒。

The pots were discovered in a tomb being excavated to make way for an extension to the local airport."It’s the first discovery of bone soup in Chinese archaeological history," the newspaper quoted Liu Daiyun of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology as saying."The discovery will play an important role in studying the eating habits and culture of the Warring States Period(475-221BC)

."這些罐子是為了挪出道路擴建當地機場而挖路時,在一個墓穴中發現。報紙引述山西省考古研究院的劉呆運報導:「這是中國考古史上首度發現有骨頭的湯。這項發現將在研究戰國時代飲食習慣與文化方面扮演重要角色。」
The scientists said the tomb could have held the body of either a member of the land-owning class or a low-ranking military officer, the report said.報告說,科學家指出,這個墓穴可能埋葬地主階級或是低階將官的屍體。

In 1974, the terracotta army was found there at the burial site of Qin Shihuang, China’s first emperor. He presided over the unification of China in 221BC and ruled until 210BC.1974年,兵馬俑在秦始皇的墓地出土。秦始皇是中國第一位皇帝,在西元前221年統治統一的中國,統治直到西元前210年。

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