Man destroys 2,000 -year -old statues in a restricted area of museum in China
Authorities said he suffers from psychiatric problems, and his nationality was not informed. The case continues to be investigated by the police and, despite the incident, an employee said the exhibition remains open to the public.
Funeral Army is a World Heritage
The complex was made to keep and honor the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of a unified China. With over 2,000 years of existence, the structure was discovered by chance only in 1974 by peasants and became UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, when considered one of the most important findings of twentieth -century archeology.
Work has over 8,000 actual clay figures. Soldiers, archers, coachiers, musicians, horses and carriages were modeled in details that show their faces, hairstyles and expressions. Artisans shaped the trunk, arms, legs and heads separately and then joined the pieces before burning.
The figures were lined with vivid colors. Most, however, lost pigment after centuries of air exposure. The conservation of the funeral army has been a challenge for archaeologists and any damage – such as Friday’s incident – may require years of restoration work.
