The Terracotta Army, a collection of thousands of life-sized clay soldiers guarding the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, appears earthy and grey today. However, when they were first created over 2,200 years ago, every soldier was painted in brilliant, vivid colors including red, blue, pink, and gold. The most tragic aspect of their discovery in 1974 was that when the figures were exposed to the air after being buried for millennia, the lacquer finish dried out and the paint began to curl and flake off in as little as 15 seconds. Archaeologists now use specialized chemicals and immediate freezing techniques to preserve the color on newly excavated warriors. Each soldier also has unique facial features, suggesting they were modeled after real individuals in the Emperor's army.