In 1974, farmers digging a well in Xi'an, China, accidentally discovered one of the greatest artistic and archaeological finds of the 20th century: the Terracotta Army. Created over 2,200 years ago, the army consists of more than 8,000 life-sized soldiers, 130 chariots, and 520 horses. It was built to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, in the afterlife. What makes the army a masterpiece of ancient art is its level of detail: every single soldier has unique facial features, hairstyles, and expressions, suggesting they were modeled after real individuals. Originally, the statues were painted in bright, vibrant colors, but the pigments faded almost immediately upon exposure to air. This massive project involved an estimated 700,000 workers and illustrates the incredible scale and sophistication of early Chinese sculpture and funeral rites.