A newly upgraded exhibition of painted terracotta warriors, held by the Xianyang Museum in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, offers audiences a glimpse into the military organization of the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.- 25 A.D.) through well-preserved figurines.
Shaanxi Province's capital city, Xi'an, presents the most famous terracotta warrior army built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), while its neighboring city of Xianyang had the earliest large-scale terracotta army recovered in China.
The Xianyang Museum recently upgraded the featured exhibition of 1,570 pieces of Western Han painted terracotta warriors and reopened it to the public on Oct 1.
Compared with the Qin terracotta warriors, those of the Western Han Dynasty are much smaller, with an average height of about 50 centimeters, which equals to less than one-third of the height of a real person, and they were discovered nine years earlier.
On Aug 24, 1965, villagers of Yangjiawan Village in the eastern suburbs of Xianyang, within the range of the Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, the first emperor of Western Han, firstly discovered the painted pottery figurines when leveling the land.
Later on, archaeological investigators recovered 1,965 soldier figurines, 583 horse riding figurines and nearly 1,000 shield models from 10 burial pits and one brick pit.
This is the first time that China unearthed such a large number of painted terracotta warriors, marking a major discovery that astonished the domestic archaeological community in the 1960s.
"These Han terracotta warriors are the earliest discovered in China. They are remarkably well-preserved, with their forms and structures fully intact. From the entire excavation process, we can gain insights into the overall military organization of the Han Dynasty, including uniforms, equipment usage, army arraying and formation," said Tian Xiaohua, director of the exhibition department of the Xianyang Museum.
For more than half a century since their discovery, these Western Han terracotta warriors have been extremely important physical materials for studying the dynasty's burial system, clothing system and sculpture art.
They have also been exhibited in more than a dozen countries, becoming important messengers of cultural exchanges.
Exhibition featuring painted terracotta warriors showcases military organization of Western Han Dynasty
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
