China, Xian, 19.02.2012
Could the Terracotta Warriors be a hoax?
Towards the end of our guided tour around the 3 vast, aircraft hangar like structures that enclose the site and excavations of the Terracotta Warriors the thought did cross my mind that, just possibly, the whole thing could be a huge and expansive hoax the Chinese have played on the world, in an attempt to drag tourism to an area of the country that, let’s face it, no-one would visit were it not for the Terracotta Warriors. Xian sits at 800m above sea level in the middle of a vast, flat, dusty, plateau. You will not see a single clean car in and around Xian, all are covered with a thick layer of sand and dust, not dissimilar to builders cars as they drive away from site at the end of the day. Certainly, Xian was the start or end (depending which way you look at it) of the Silk Route and certainly Xian was the home of the Chinese Emperors for many hundreds of years but even they discarded it and moved to Beijing. Despite the Great Mosque, the Dayan (Big Wild Goose) Pagoda and the preserved city wall, it’s the Terracotta Warriors that bring in the tourists and their wallets full of money.
What made me think the whole thing could be a hoax?
It started with the kneeling archer. I wish I’d taken a photo from the rear of the case now, although it probably wouldn’t have come out, the flash reflecting off the glass and over exposing the picture. Come to think of it, that’s probably why it was so dark in that hall, so that you had to use your flash to take pictures (although this wasn’t allowed as there were signs to the contrary everywhere and lurking Chinese Army guards to reprimand you if you did use flash). But, the sole of his shoe on the foot that was bent at the end of his kneeling leg and thus revealed had a pattern across it. Our guide even pointed it out with the proud words “see, the makers of these soldiers went to great lengths to ensure each was individual and accurate to the real life person upon which it was modeled. Look you can even see the markings on the sole of the shoe of this one”. Wow. That’s amazing. Absolutely fantastic. The workmanship that’s gone into that. Wow. But. Wait, hang on a minute. That looks just like the sole of a plimsoll. Something like a Dunlop Green Flash from the 80’s. Surely in xxxBCE they wouldn’t have had rubber soles like this with patterns in them? Surely they’d have been flat pieces of leather with nothing more than scuff and wear marks upon them. This doesn’t seem right.
(ps. I borrowed this pic from Wikipedia – thanks chaps.)
Is this a Dunlop Green Flash ?????
Thinking nothing more of it we moved on and a few display cases later came to a room full of Terracotta Warriors complete with a filmset type backdrop comprising a photographic image of Hall 1 and the massed ranks of the warriors. It was staged such that you could stand amongst the full size warriors in the front few rows, have your picture taken and, thanks to the backdrop, it would look like you were in the pits amongst the real warriors. You’ll see what I mean from the picture below.
Spot the odd ones out....
I asked our guide whether or not the life size warriors we were standing against were the real thing. She laughed. “Not at all, these are made in a local factory. In fact, if you want we can go to the factory and they will take a picture of your face and then make a life size warrior for you, in clay, with your face modeled into it. They’ll pack it and ship it for you anywhere in the world for US$800”. So, for about £500 I could get a 6’2” warrior with my face, weighing about 50 – 60kg (they’re hollow) shipped back to London. And, most of that cost would be the freight charges.
Now, if they can do that, and these things we’re standing amongst look and feel just like the ones I’ve just seen in the various pits, and everyone knows everything gets copied and made in China, what if none of the ones out in the halls are real? What if it were all some big hoax, concocted by Mr. Yan [click here to find out who he is] to supplement the meagre living he was making from farming crops on this parched dust bowl? Just imagine if Mr. Yan and his mates, being aware of the legends surrounding Emperor Qin, came up with the story of the well and the fragments as a laugh or a small hoax. Then imagine that the story began to run away with them. They called in some archaeologists who were duped (or bribed) by Mr. Yan. News got out, other archaeologists came and before Mr. Yan knew it the whole thing was running away from him and mushrooming rapidly. The local, state and national governments get involved and start to pump millions into the “excavation” and “uncovering of a lost treasure” – when really they’re pumping millions into building a factory to manufacture the warriors, then they smash them to pieces, sprinkle them around the pits and allow young, gullible, wannabe, archaeologists come on an internship (ie for nothing) and dig around in the soil and see what they can find. Imagine that. It’s not too implausible is it. What about the UNESCO World Heritage status you ask?. If done properly and on a big enough scale, it can’t be impossible to hoodwink the inspectors can it? I mean, you can’t even carbon date these things because you’ve actually used the same earth and clay as would have been sitting in the ground hundreds of years ago anyway. Plus, and I wish I’d take some photos of these now. All around the area and around Xian in general are massive open cast pits where something has been quarried out. The remaining soil around the walls of the pits is a reddy-brown clay. The manufacture of bricks, tiles and clay products seems to be a staple industry in these parts so the manufacture of a few thousand clay soldiers would not be beyond the impossible for some.
Originals damaged in earthquakes or broken bits from the modern day factory????
Hoax or not? What do you think? Have the Chinese hoodwinked everyone? Perhaps an attempt by them to get one back on the Americans for having hoodwinked everyone they landed a man on the moon? (I actually believe the moon landings were for real, but then again……………….)
Oh, I forgot to mention, the title Terracotta Worriers is a deliberate typo, by me. However, as it appears in numerous places in Chinese guide books, on the motorway and access roads, on posters etc etc I did start to think that maybe it’s not a typo by he Chinese. Maybe it’s a freudian slip and they really are worried about something. Someone finding out perhaps?
phillipsontour 