China’s terracotta warriors to descend on Philadelphia

These life-sized clay figures are part of one of the world's most extraordinary archaeological finds.

The terracotta warriors are coming to Philadelphia. Well, 10 out of 8,000 life-sized figures are coming, and they make quite an impression all by themselves.

The Franklin Institute will be hosting the exhibit Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor, which highlights one of the world’s most extraordinary archaeological finds: the discovery of 8,000 6-ft clay soldiers that were buried with China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, in late 3rd century BC.

The figures are thought to be a form of funerary art, and were created to protect the emperor in his afterlife. Among the warriors featured in the exhibit are “a general, an armored officer, a kneeling archer, a standing archer, an armored soldier, a cavalryman, a saddled horse, a charioteer, a civil official, and a kneeling musician,” according to Lonely Planet.

Along with the warriors, the exhibit features 170 other artifacts, including weapons, gold ornaments, jade pieces and coins. Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor will be on view from September 2017 to March 4, 2018.