The First Emperor of China

Transcription

1 TEACHER S GUIDE

2 Dear Teacher, Below you will find the teaching pack developed especially to accompany the exhibition The Terracotta Army and the First Emperor of China. This international, travelling exhibition features artefacts, discoveries and reproductions from the one of the greatest Archaeological discoveries of the 20 th century. The history of the First Emperor of China is a detailed and intricate one, so the education guide for students has been designed to encourage them to absorb facts through activity. The activities are varied and cover many multiple facets of education; from mathematics and anatomy, to genealogy and archaeology. The First Emperor of China Qin Shi Huangdi ascended to the throne when he was 13 years old. At 38 years of age, he proclaimed himself First Emperor of China. He then ruled for another ten years, until his untimely death at the age of 49. He left an indelible mark on China s history. The type of government he established survived him for almost 800 years without any major changes. This government was based on the principle of personal merit and collective responsibility, organization of a centralized empire, creation of a population register, introduction of a commercial tax and head tax levying, to name but a few. To this day, China s territorial divisions are part of this heritage. Qin Shi Huangdi was also the first sovereign to want to protect his empire with the help of a Great Wall. Aside from this colossal project, he still found the necessary resources to dig canals connecting the regions of his empire and to build an impressive number of palaces.

3 Structure The teaching materials put the exhibited works in context. The teaching pack provides guidance on dealing with the history of the Qin Dynasty as well as the form and symbolism of the Warriors and artefacts. Each worksheet offers a combination of background information and practical or more knowledge-based assignments. The three themed worksheets are: - PREPARATION WEIGHTS & MEASURES, MATHS & SCIENCE - KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING DURING THE MUSEUM VISIT - ARCHEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY AFTER THE VISIT It is up to teachers to decide how to use the worksheets. They can be used in preparation for the visit or as a way of evaluating it afterwards. The second worksheet is primarily intended as a guide during the visit and will encourage your students to be focused when looking at the artworks exhibited. It is therefore a good idea not to distribute this second worksheet, entitled DURING YOUR VISIT, until you are actually at the exhibition. You do not necessarily have to collect the worksheets at the end of the exhibition, since any uncompleted questions can also be finished at home or at school with the help of the Internet. Preparatory discussion Duration: 30 minutes Requires: teaching materials Some prior knowledge may be helpful before the visit. Please see the information sheets at the end of this document. It is also recommended that you prepare students for the visit and explain the ground rules. The following example questions may provide you with some inspiration: - Who has already been to a museum or exhibition and what was it about? - What kind of objects are you expecting to see at this exhibition? - Who was the First Emperor of China? Worksheets It is recommended that you take a look at one or two themes in class before the visit. Of course, you can also divide the class into different groups and give each one a different theme. The students can then give brief presentations to share their knowledge or projects with the rest of the class. Suggested Themes: - History of the Qin Dynasty - Half Liang use of currency - Statues and Construction Timing Each of these themes require approximately one hour. The information provided below and the activity sheets can be broken down into smaller sections if required to create shorter lessons. For example, you may wish to break down Statues and Construction into three separate lessons: one on the Pits, one on the workers and one on construction.

4 Methods used Most of the assignments are to be done by individual students. After completion, the results or the work created can be presented in groups or individually at the discretion of the teacher. Materials required Every student receives a printout of the materials. Depending on the assignment selected the following will be required: Worksheet PREPARATION: paper, pen Worksheet DURING YOUR VISIT: pen, pencil, paper Worksheet AFTER YOUR VISIT: pen, paper, pencil. Geography text or internet for study. Activity Sheet Answers Assignment One 1. 11

5 Assignment Two 1. Hg 2. Any of the elements highlighted Light Blue on the Periodic Table image Assignment Three Statue A weighs 180kg Statue B weighs 135kg Assignment Four 1. Plinth/Feet 2. Legs 3. Underneath clothes 4. Torso 5. Arms 6. Head 7. Hands Assignment Five The Civil Servants are in a standing position with their hands joined together at the waist. Assignment Six 1. Kneeling Archer 2. Armoured Infantryman 3. Standing Archer 4. Charioteer Assignment Seven Lady Zhao 3. Half Liang Gé 6. Lower Ranking Officer 7. Wild Goose and Crane 8. Three Farmers. One was named Yang Zhifa Assignment Eight 1. The Great Pyramids El Giza, Egypt 2. The Colosseum Rome, Italy

6 3. Stonehenge Salisbury, England 4. The Parthenon Athens, Greece Assignment Nine Currency and Language In order to consolidate his power across all of China, Qin Shi Huangdi initiated a program of administrative reforms under the guidance of his chancellor, Li Si. These reforms were intended to introduce the Qin

7 administrative methods to all the new conquered kingdoms. One aspect of these reforms was the standardization of writing, currency and the weights and measures. During the previous centuries, each independent kingdom had developed its own writing. All the kingdoms used the same language, with some local variations, but the writing could be very different from one kingdom to another. To ensure an efficient administration, Li Si developed a new set of pictograms, the small seal script. Using a single common writing prevented misunderstandings between the central power and the local administrations. Qin Shi Huangdi wanted to make sure his orders were properly understood and executed in the whole empire. The new pictograms were also simpler and thus easier to learn for a sometimes poorly literate staff. Money took a variety of forms in China over the centuries. During more ancient times, seashells or turtle shells were used, alongside gold and silver. During the 4th century, bronze money circulated which borrowed the shape of daily life objects: knives and shovels amongst other things. The state of Qin then decided to standardize the currency, while assuming, at the same time, the exclusive right to issue coinage. Circa 210 BC, towards the end of the reign, the First Emperor forbids the production and usage of coins in the shape of spades and knives. He even imposed, as a unique currency, cash coins or Qian, which were already in force several centuries before him. Cash coins were simply round coins with a squared hole in the center. For easier transport purposes, they were strung into reels with cords through their central hole. These silver or bronze coins had two inscriptions: ban and Liang, but are most often referred to as the Half-Liang. History of the Qin Dynasty Lü Buwei was a wealthy merchant who met the prince Yi Ren, (a member of the Qin royal family). Kept as a

8 hostage in the kingdom of Zhao, Prince Yi Ren was not destined to succeed his father, King Zhaoxiang, who was already very old. Yet, by using his fortune and eloquence, Lü Buwei managed to have him designated in the succession order of inheritance. In 251 BC, King Zhaoxiang passed away. His son, prince Anguo, succeeded him but died a few months later. Yi Ren then became King of Qin and changed his name to Zi Chu. Lü Buwei became his Chancellor and, at the same time, the only man of his position in society to hold such an important function. This situation is totally atypical in China s history. Lü Buwei had a concubine, Lady Zhao, described as a courtesan and dancer of stunning beauty. She attracted Prince Yi Ren s attention, which obliged Lü Buwei to let him have her as his wife. Lady Zhao eventually became queen. The fruit of this union was Prince Zhen Ying, the future First Emperor. Nonetheless, Lady Zhao and her young son became themselves hostages of the Zhao kingdom, probably with the common idea at the time of guaranteeing respect for a treaty. In 251 BC, using his influence and wealth, Lü Buwei allowed Lady Zhao and the young prince to flee the Zhao kingdom. In 247 BC, after the premature death of King Zi Chu, Chancellor Lü Buwei became the regent of the Qin kingdom. The following year, in 246 BC, Prince Zhen Ying was proclaimed king. Given Zhen Ying s young age (thirteen years old), Lü Buwei exercised regency until the prince reached the age of majority, 21 years old.. In 246 BC, Prince Zhen Ying turned 21. From that moment on he could fully assume the title and functions of King. This put an end to Chancellor Lü Buwei s regency. At 38 years of age, he proclaimed himself First Emperor of China. He then ruled for another ten years, until his untimely death at the age of 49. He left an indelible mark on China s history. The type of government he established survived him for almost 800 years without any major changes. This government was based on the principle of personal merit and collective responsibility, organization of a centralized empire, creation of a population register, introduction of a commercial tax and head tax levying, to name but a few. To this day, China s territorial divisions are part of this heritage. Qin Shi Huangdi was also the first sovereign to want to protect his empire with the help of a Great Wall. Aside from this colossal project, he still found the necessary resources to dig canals connecting the regions of his empire and to build an impressive number of palaces: his capital had no less than 270 of them! All these achievements, based on an outlandish ambition, were only made possible thanks to the implementation of an impressive army, powerful government, effective administration and tight control of the people s daily life. Who knows what Qin Shi Huangdi would have been able to accomplish if he had lived longer? Statues and Construction

9 The exhibition not only contains the Terracotta Warriors, but it also includes other statues and artefacts which were discovered as well. There have been hundreds of pits unearthed at the site and to this day all of the pits and burial places have not yet been exhumed. During his life, Shi Huangdi ruled over hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civil servants. The tombs of Ancient China s leaders had to reflect the magnitude and glory of their occupants. These pits house figure statues as well as authentic animal statues and skeletons, to serve the emperor in the after-life: civil servants, acrobats, fighters, musicians, stable valets, horses, tamed birds, etc. Moreover, the necropolis is the burial place of hundreds of workers and leaders who would accompany Shi Huangdi in death, voluntarily or not. Animal skeletons, such as horses or tamed birds, are also present. The most famous of these statues though, are the Terracotta Warriors. The two pits which contained the biggest abundance of warriors are known as Pit 1 and Pit No. 2. Pit 1 Pit 1 is 230 meters long, 62 meters wide and 5 meters deep. It is the most impressive part of the Terracotta Army. At the time of its construction, this pit required the moving of 70,000 m³ of earth. It is divided into eleven parallel corridors and brings together the right flank of the Terracotta Army, which is its largest component. It is thought to contain up to 6,000 warrior statues - infantrymen, archers and crossbowmen - as well as war chariots with their horses. To this day, only a small part of this army has been exhumed: some 1,600 warriors and the remains of approximately a dozen real chariots. The first three lines include 204 warriors without armor, which are arranged in three rows of 68 statues. These warriors had buns and wore a robe as well as gaiters. Behind them, the warriors with armors are gathered together in 38 individual columns, sometimes interrupted by the presence of chariots that are often equipped with bells and drums. Roughly forty middle-rank or junior officers are scattered among the warriors, most often in isolated groups. There are also nine generals. Pit N 2 Pit N 2 is situated 20 meters away from pit N 1, in the north-east, and is occupied by the left flank of the Terracotta Army. It is a lot smaller than pit N 1 and has an "L" shape. It is 124 meters long (at its longest length) and 98 meters wide (for its largest width). It contains 967 warriors, 472 horses and 83 chariots who could in fact be a guard contingent, which were not necessarily called to the front. The warriors are divided into four groups. In the east, there is a squared formation of 330 archers, of which 160 are kneeling down in the center and are equipped with armor. The other 170, standing archers are wearing robes, but no armor. In the south, there is a formation of 64 chariots, also in a square-formation, each of them with a charioteer and two warriors. In the center, there is a rectangular-shaped mixed formation of 19 chariots, 260 infantrymen and 8 cavalrymen at the back of the group. In the north, there are 108 cavalrymen standing in a rectangular formation in front of their saddled horse and accompanied by 8 chariots and their crew. Workers

10 Contrary to what one might suppose, the makers of the terracotta statues were not, in any way, artists or sculptors. They could have been potters specialized in terracotta pipes used for drainage and sewerage. Indeed, some examples of these were found on the site of the emperor s palace, as well as the necropolis. They could have also been foremen from the workshops in charge of the construction of the Emperor s palace and leaders tombs. The foremen of those workshops are clearly identifiable from the seals they affixed on the finished statues, before their firing. Among the more than 720,000 workers who participated in the construction of the First Emperor s necropolis, the makers of the statues were only a small fraction of the workforce. It is hard to evaluate how many they were, but there were surely more than a thousand in total. They were divided into autonomous teams that were each composed of a foreman and a dozen assistants. The most plausible organization is that each team assembled, in parallel, a series of five statues before handing them over to the person responsible for the baking process. If we suppose that the statues were created only after the empire s unification in 221 BC, each team must have then completed, on average, seven statues a year. Construction of Statues The cylindrical parts (torsos and arms), were made with thick clay plates that were rolled up in tubes by the craftsmen. Other parts were made in dry or burnt molds of clay. The plinth molds were probably simple wooden boxes. This process was copied from the Chinese for the creation of tiles and floor slabs. The heads of the warriors and horses were made by assembling the front and back halves of the mold together, always modeled separately in circular molds. The connection joint is actually still visible on the warriors: it is placed in front or just behind the ears. The hands, which only exist in two versions, are either folded or held out and were also made using two independent molds. The two parts were brought together with moist clay. In terms of the folded hands, it is possible that the fingers were made in separate molds. This fact has been confirmed by archeologists with respect to the thumbs. The last phalanxes of the folded hands were handmade and added at the end of the process. The assembly, like the clay modeling, often required pressing pieces of clay by hand to consolidate the mounting. Traces of the potters work, immortalized in the clay, have often been found, whether it is the outline of a palm or of fingerprints.

11 Order of Construction: - The Plinth The plinth of the statue is made from clay blocks in a wooden box. - Torso and Arms created The cylindrical parts (torso and arms), were made with thick clay plates that were rolled up in tubes by the craftsmen. - Feet and Lower legs The feet and lower legs are made from a single clay piece and are then placed onto the plinth. - Clothing The clothing that covers the torso and upper legs is placed at the bottom of the legs. - Arms and Torso added The arms are added to the torso with the help of moist clay. - The Head The front and back halves of the head are made separately in circular molds, before being glued together. - Final preparation of heads The details of the head and face are individually shaped by hand to give each statue a unique character trait: a headdress, facial expressions, a moustache, eyebrows, and ears, amongst others. - Assembly of the head The head is then inserted in the intended slot at the top of the torso. - Assembly of the hands To finish, the hands are fixed in the clothing armholes, sometimes with the help of wooden tangs. - Transport to oven The statue of around 200 kg is then transported to the workshop and placed in an enormous furnace, before being painted.