The extraordinary life-size terracotta warriors discovered in 1974 near the present day town of Xi'an in China's Shaanxi Province. The famous statues which were made in the 3rd century BC, number more than 7000 and are buried in three pits. This amazing terracotta underground army was created in order to symbolically "guard" the mausoleum of the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. The most remarkable aspect of this find is the true realism of the sculptures. Each warrior stands a realistic 1.8 metres tall and has a different face. The dresses depict the ranks of various army officials