For decades, scientists have been perplexed by the marvelous preservation of bronze weapons associated with China's famed Terracotta Warriors, retaining shiny, almost pristine surfaces and sharp blades after being buried for more than two millennia.
© REUTERS/Charles PlatiauTerracotta warriors and horses, which were unearthed during the first excavation from 1978 to 1984, stand inside the No. 1 pit of the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xian, Shaanxi province, in China, January 8, 2018.
Research by an international team of scientists published on Thursday may solve the mystery while putting to rest an intriguing hypothesis:
that ancient Chinese artisans employed an unexpectedly advanced preservation method using the metal chromium.The fine preservation of weapons including swords, lances and halberds was due to serendipity - factors such as the bronze's high tin content and favorable soil composition, the scientists decided after examining 464 bronze weapons and parts.
Chromium found on the bronze surfaces, they determined, was simply contamination from chromium-rich lacquer applied by the artisans to the terracotta figures and weapons parts. Chromium played no role in their preservation.
The Terracotta Army consists of thousands of life-sized ceramic warriors and horses alongside bronze chariots and weapons, part of the vast 3rd century BC mausoleum near the city of Xi'an for Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of a unified China. Found in 1974, it represents one of the 20th century's greatest archaeological discoveries.
Comment: One wonders if there were any particular driving forces that caused these communities to begin experimenting with agriculture. It's notable that, concurrent with the findings above, a recent study found evidence of plague in Sweden's early farmers: See also: