Chinese Society in The Qin Dynasty through a Funerary Site

This paper analyzes ancient funerary art in China, focusing on the Terracotta Army site in Shaanxi, China. As the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, constructed his mausoleum and the sculptures, the funerary art of his reign represented ancient Chinese societal structure. I analyze spatial use in the mausoleum complex, the materials used to create Terracotta Army, and the major elements of funerary art in the Qin Dynasty. Using elements of Qing architecture, art, metallurgy, and culture, this paper argues the creation of the Terracotta warriors reveal the complexity and symbolism of eternal life in China. The unique statues illuminate military hierarchies and the social importance and prestige of the nobility's burial practices in Qin China. While the artists of the statues remain unknown, the statues' importance rests in how they spatially and socially reveal status, rank, and the values of society in the third century BCE.