'Foreigner' Helped Build (Chinese) Terracotta Army

Chinese archaeologists have unearthed evidence that a foreign worker helped build the Terracotta Army mausoleum, the resting place of the country's first emperor, who died more than 2,200 years ago.

The remains of the worker, described as a foreign man in his 20s, were found among 121 shattered skeletons in a labourers' tomb 500 metres from the mausoleum in the north-western city of Xian, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.

According to Xinhua, the man may prove to be "China's first foreign worker", though it is unclear whether he served as an employee or a slave of emperor Qin Shi Huang, who unified China and built the first Great Wall. It is estimated 700,000 labourers worked on the imperial tomb, which houses 8,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses. DNA tests were used to ethnically identify 15 of the labourers.

12.45pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Foreigner' helped build Terracotta Army Jonathan Watts in Beijing Wednesday June 28, 2006 The Guardian Chinese archaeologists have unearthed evidence that a foreign worker helped build the Terracotta Army mausoleum, the resting place of the country's first emperor, who died more than 2,200 years ago. The remains of the worker, described as a foreign man in his 20s, were found among 121 shattered skeletons in a labourers' tomb 500 metres from the mausoleum in the north-western city of Xian, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. According to Xinhua, the man may prove to be "China's first foreign worker", though it is unclear whether he served as an employee or a slave of emperor Qin Shi Huang, who unified China and built the first Great Wall. It is estimated 700,000 labourers worked on the imperial tomb, which houses 8,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses. DNA tests were used to ethnically identify 15 of the labourers. Article continues "One sample has typical DNA features commonly owned by the Parsi in India and Pakistan, the Kurds in Turkmenistan and the Persians in Iran," Tan Jingze, an anthropologist with Fudan University, told Xinhua. "It's an inspiring discovery, but we're not sure if there are more foreigners involved in the construction of the mausoleum," she said.

This should not surprise anyone who has walked between the ranks of clay soldiers in Xian. All you've got to do is look at the faces of these life-sized statues. It is obvious that there were Caucasians in the emperor's army, if the scuptures are to be believed. They looked like Turks to me.

I also saw faces that matched those of my classmates when I was growing up in California (large Asian population.) Every face is different and sculted in amazing detail.

Well, I really garbled THAT post. It should have said:

"One sample has typical DNA features commonly owned by the Parsi in India and Pakistan, the Kurds in Turkmenistan and the Persians in Iran," Tan Jingze, an anthropologist with Fudan University, told Xinhua. "It's an inspiring discovery, but we're not sure if there are more foreigners involved in the construction of the mausoleum," she said.

This should not surprise anyone who has walked amongst the ranks of clay soldiers in Xian. All you've got to do is look at the FACES of these life-sized statues. It is obvious that there were Caucasians in the emperor's army, if the scuptures are to be believed. They looked like Turks to me.

I also discovered faces that matched those of my classmates when I was growing up in California (large Asian population.) Every face is different and sculpted in amazing detail.

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