What’s weird about Qin Shihuang’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses?

In March 1974, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang were rediscovered in Lintong County, Shaanxi Province. Due to their large scale and lifelike appearance, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses were called the eighth wonder of the world. Recently, some archaeological experts have proposed a puzzling phenomenon: a large number of soldiers wear linen turbans on their heads, officers look like they wear plate-shaped hats made of cowhide, and more soldiers wear their long hair in a bun. On the head, the hair is pulled into buns.

Whether they are soldiers or officers, the Qin army does not wear helmets. Not only do they not wear helmets, but the armor they wear is also very simple, with the armor plates reduced to a minimum. The main infantry's armor only protects the chest and back, and the crossbow troops standing at the front don't even have a single armor plate. Neither.

Qin should be able to equip its army with enough armor. Historical records show that since Shang Yang's reform, Qin was the richest among the vassal states at that time. "Historical Records" says: Qin wore millions of armors. It means there are millions of troops wearing armor, but the replica Qin army in front of them is a big surprise. What is the reason why these soldiers and generals on the front line of the war do not wear helmets? Qin was able to unify the six countries, so why did it not even equip its soldiers with helmets? What is the historical truth hidden behind this strange phenomenon? ?

More than two thousand years ago, "Xi", a conscientious county legal secretary in the Qin State, provided a clue for people to explore this mystery. Xi served in the army three times. He used bamboo slips to record two cases that occurred in the army when the Qin army attacked Xingqiu.

During the battle against Xingqiu, Soldier A beheaded an enemy. Soldier B tried to kill Soldier A and take the head as his own, but was discovered by a third soldier. Soldier with evil intentions. B was arrested on the spot and brought to justice. Several other bamboo slips said: Two soldiers also moved their hands in order to fight for a head. The Qin army actually killed each other for the head of their opponent on the battlefield! What drove them to be so eager for the enemy's head?

In 135 years before Qin unified China, the reformer Shang Yang founded the Qin state. A set of stringent laws that no other country could tolerate was enacted. From then on, the entire Qin State operated strictly in accordance with this set of laws, which influenced six generations of Qin people until Qin Shihuang.

Shang Yang stipulated: "As long as a soldier of the Qin State kills an enemy's head, he can obtain a first-level title, a farm and a house, and several servants. The more heads he kills, the more titles he will receive. The higher." This is Shang Yang's famous military merit conferment system. If a soldier beheaded two enemies on the battlefield, his parents, who were prisoners, could immediately become free persons, and if his wife was a slave, she could also become a civilian. For Chinese people who attach great importance to family inheritance, military merit can be passed down to their children. If a father dies in battle, his merits can be recorded on his son. If one person obtains military merit, the whole family can benefit.

In Chinese history, the culture and temperament of the Qin people are unique, which is probably related to the history of the Qin people. The Qin people were born in the wilderness of the northwest and lived together with the nomadic people. In the eyes of the highly civilized Central Plains countries at that time, they were a backward and barbaric nation. Although the Qin people worked hard to learn from the Central Plains civilization, they never truly accepted the elegant, refined, moderate and modest ethics of the Central Plains civilization. In the eyes of the Qin people, it is natural to pursue martial arts and compete for interests.

Han Feizi was a great thinker during the Warring States Period. He recorded his feelings when he first came into contact with the Qin people. When the people of Qin heard that there was going to be a war, they stamped their feet bare and did not care about life or death... A famous lobbyist at that time described the Qin army on the battlefield like this: They were bareheaded and shirtless, and they marched forward bravely. Compared with the armies of the six countries, they were It's like an egg hitting a stone... They hold the human head in their left hand and hold the prisoner under their right arm, chasing their opponents... In the vivid narrative of the lobbyist, the terrifying Qin army is chilling.

In Shang Yang's writings, the military merit conferment system stipulated generous rewards for a special unit, which Shang Yang called "the men who trapped the team."

In the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit, there is a very special group of soldiers. They carry hand-to-hand assassination weapons; but they don't wear armor at all. Among the entire underground legion, their image appears to be very special. What exactly did this team of soldiers do? Researchers have never been clear. A possible speculation is that there were some extremely dangerous missions during the battle, which were basically impossible to return. Under heavy rewards, these people who did not consider life and death stood up. These soldiers were probably the ones trapped in the death squad style. scholar.

There is also a record on the bamboo slips of "Xi": The Qin army drank a lot of alcohol before and after the war. A large bowl of wine speeds up blood flow and excites nerves. The battle order has been issued and the war is about to begin. Either you will die on the battlefield or you will be promoted to a higher rank. At this moment, wine makes all soldiers have only one impulse: to kill the enemy bravely and make meritorious deeds.

Looking at these Qin soldiers who did not wear helmets and did not have much armor, it seemed that there was only one reason to explain this reckless behavior: too heavy helmets and armor prevented them from killing the enemy Jinjue. . Not only that, Sima Qian recorded in "Historical Records": The Qin army on the battlefield was bare-chested and even took off his only armor.

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang are known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The creation of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses is basically based on real life, with delicate and bright techniques. Each pottery figurine has a different outfit and expression. Some people found that none of the terracotta warriors and horses wore helmets. Why?

The Qin people had advanced and powerful offensive weapons, but they did not pay attention to armor; two Qin soldiers actually killed each other in order to fight for an opponent's head on the battlefield! There is a puzzling phenomenon in Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors and Horses: A large number of soldiers wore small round hats on their heads. Archaeologists confirmed that this was a turban made of linen. The officer-like figure wears a plate-shaped hat made of cowhide. More soldiers put their long hair on their heads and pulled it into buns. No matter whether they are soldiers or officers, the Qin army does not wear helmets. Not only do they not wear helmets, but the armor they wear is also very simple. Bamboo slips from more than 2,000 years ago provide clues. More than 2,000 years ago, "Xi", a conscientious county legal secretary in Qin State, provided a clue for people to explore this mystery. "Xi" served in the army three times. He used bamboo slips to record the cases that happened in the army when the Qin army attacked Xingqiu. Two Qin soldiers actually killed each other in order to fight for the head of an opponent on the battlefield! What drives them to desire the heads of their enemies so much?

In 135 years before Qin unified China, the reformer Shang Yang formulated a set of strict laws for Qin that no other country could tolerate. Shang Yang stipulated that as long as the soldiers of the Qin State captured an enemy's head, they could obtain a first-level title, a farm and a house, and several servants. The more heads you kill, the higher your title will be. War is the road to wealth and honor. Driven by such interests, it is understandable that soldiers compete for the enemy's heads. It is conceivable that in the eyes of the Qin army officers and soldiers, the enemy's head is the equivalent currency in exchange for status and wealth. In the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit, there is a very special group of soldiers. They hold hand-to-hand assassination weapons, but do not wear armor at all. What on earth do this group of soldiers do? Researchers have never been clear. A possible speculation is that there are some extremely dangerous tasks in the battle, which are basically impossible to return. Under the heavy rewards, these people who do not consider life and death at all stepped forward. There is also a record on the bamboo slips of "Xi": The Qin army drank a lot before and after the war. Alcohol makes all soldiers have only one impulse: to kill the enemy bravely and make meritorious deeds. There seems to be only one reason to explain this disregard for life. The heavy helmets and armor hindered them from killing the enemy and becoming nobles. These clay warriors passed on to future generations the strong martial spirit of the Qin people. The Qin people have advanced and powerful offensive weapons, but do not pay attention to armor. Is this a rule of the entire army or a conscious behavior of the soldiers? Perhaps it is a kind of upper and lower consciousness coming from the warlike nature of the Qin people? Without conclusive evidence, people can only speculate.