In 1974, farmers in the Shaanxi province of China stumbled upon a truly monumental archaeological discovery. Underneath their feet lay a massive subterranean complex of more than 8,000 life-sized, individualized statues of warriors. Accompanying the soldiers were over 500 life-sized horses and an array of chariots and weapons.
This "terracotta army" had been commissioned by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China. Scholars generally agree that the army was meant to be a bodyguard or escort of some sort that would assist the emperor in his trip to the afterlife.
Write an essay in which you analyze what the terracotta army can tell us about the society and economy of Qin Dynasty China. What does it suggest about the political power of the emperor and the health of the economy?