When I visited China and the tomb in Xian in 1983 (has it been that long already? seems like yesterday)the guides told us that the Chinese government had a very strict schedule for excavation. Only so much could be dug per year -- partly to keep the suspense alive and the tourists coming back.
BTW, my visit to Xian was the most memorable of my 3 week trip and the most exciting. I recommend Xian to everyone I know who is traveling to China.
The terra cotta soldiers are simply amazing. There are no two faces alike and the uniforms are all different too. Standing amidst the ranks of statues is an eerie feeling -- they look so real.
Some of the soldiers are obviously Caucasian -- perhaps Indians or Turks. Some of the Asian faces resembled friends that I knew growing up in California which had a sizeable population of Chinese at the time.
Although the figures are dark grey or tan now, they were originally painted in lively colors. The museum had one or two with the paint restored, but they looked odd next to all the tan and gray ones. Local artists make a little business copying the life sized statues in minature and selling them to the tourists. I have 3. They are fragile, however. I broke one getting it home in my luggage.
Fascinating!
"Only so much could be dug per year -- partly to keep the suspense alive and the tourists coming back."
That makes a lot of sense for modern China.