Fingerprints reveal diverse workforce built China’s terracotta army

Archaeologists in China examined fingerprints preserved on terracotta warriors to learn more about who built the army created to accompany the first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shi Huang.

For over 2,000 years, thousands of clay soldiers have guarded the emperor’s tomb. Researchers at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Museum, led by Xiaosi Li, analyzed 79 fingerprints found on 36 statues from one section of the vast archaeological site.

They initially recorded 91 fingerprints, excluding 12 from analysis because they came from individuals who left multiple prints. The team identified two types of prints: those made while shaping the clay and those from attaching decorative elements. By measuring the spacing of lines on the fingerprints, they estimated the age and sex of the people who made them.

The scientists found that 45% of the prints likely came from adult men, 32.7% from adult women, and 22.3% from children under 15. These findings challenge the long-held belief that the terracotta army was built solely by adult men. Historical records from the Qin dynasty describe an organized apprenticeship system where young people learned skills under experienced artisans.

The researchers acknowledge that their analysis is limited by the small sample size and that the number of prints doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual workforce composition. Nevertheless, the evidence suggests the army’s construction was a collective effort involving people of different ages and genders.