The Terracotta Army crossbow that could shoot twice as far as a modern-day rifle: Archaeologists unearth 2,200-year-old weapon at historic Chinese site 

  • Intact crossbow was found by archaeologists working on the site
  • Is the first complete crossbow ever found from the Qin dynasty
  • Archaeologists also discovered a 'Qing' - the bow's storage device
  • Qings have previously only ever been read about in history books  

A 2,200-year-old crossbow which some experts believe could have been almost twice as powerful as a modern-day assault rifle has been discovered among the Terracotta Warriors.

The crossbow, which was found intact this week, could have shot an arrow up to 2,600 feet - about the length of nine football pitches, the People's Daily Online reported.

The discovery is particularly exciting as experts believe the crossbow may hold the secret to the success of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

Discovery: This is the first ever crossbow to have survived intact found from the Qin Dynasty

Discovery: This is the first ever crossbow to have survived intact found from the Qin Dynasty

Uncovered: The bow is still half-buried next to one of China's famous terracotta warriors

Uncovered: The bow is still half-buried next to one of China's famous terracotta warriors

The crossbow, which was found half-buried next to one of the terracotta statues, was discovered by archaeologists working at the site.

It is the first time archaeologists have seen a complete version of the weapon, although they previously found 10 more broken crossbows in the same pit. 

The bow measures almost five feet in length, with a height of about 50 inches.

Its size suggests that it was one of the most powerful bows of its era. Historical texts indicate that its firing range could have been up to 2,600 feet, according to Huashang Newspaper, which is double the range of an assault rifle, which is about 1,300 feet.

Some historians believe that analysis of a number of historical texts shows that the crossbow was integral to several important military victories of the period. 

Archaeological importance: Many weapons have been found in the pits, like these ones from 2006

Archaeological importance: Many weapons have been found in the pits, like these ones from 2006

New: A 'Qing', an item which they had only read about in history books, was also discovered in the pit

New: A 'Qing', an item which they had only read about in history books, was also discovered in the pit

Archaeologists are equally excited about the discovery of a 'Qing', an item which they had previously only read about in historical texts.

The Qing helps explain how the crossbow was transported and stored, helping it to maintain its shape when not in use.

'We believe that not only in the Qin dynasty but perhaps during the entire Warring States Period they had a very complete system of weapons production, storage and transportation,' Shen Maosheng, the archaeologists' team leade,r told Central China Television.

'This discovery of the most complete Qin Dynasty crossbow, especially the Qing, provides us with new historical evidence for the follow-up study of the Terracotta, especially the study of the Qin dynasty military force.'

CHINA'S AMAZING TERRACOTTA ARMY

China's first emperor was buried over two thousand years ago in the most opulent tomb complex ever found in the vast country.

Qin Shi Huang's colossal burial site in Xi'an, is thought to comprise some 8,000 life size human soldiers arranged in groups, plus other figures.

The ancient site contains a collection of underground caverns containing everything the emperor would need for the afterlife, including reproductions of his armies, concubines, administrators and servants.

The first of the life-size terracotta statues was unearthed in 1974 by farmers digging wells near Xi'an and a further 2,000 have been unearthed since.

But the emperor’s burial mound has been left untouched because of fears a delicate artwork showing ancient beliefs of the afterlife, could be damaged using current archaeological methods.

The site contained a poisonous mercury moat to keep out looters, and experts think further booby-traps await investigators inside the emperor's chamber.

 

 

 

 

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