Terracotta dig starts again

Chinese archaeologists have started the third of a series of excavations at the site of the famous terracotta army.

They hope to find more clay figures and unravel some of the mysteries left behind by the "First Emperor of Qin."

The terracotta army is one of the greatest archeological finds of modern times.

The first formal excavation, from 1978 to 1984 uncovered 1100 clay figures.

A second excavation, in 1985, lasted a year and was cut short for technical reasons.

This time the focus is on a 200-square meter patch in the the Number 1 pit, the largest of the three pits at the site.

The Mausoleum honors the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, the first unifier of China. It's located at the northern foot of Lishan

Mountain in Lintong, Shanxi Province. It covers an area of 56 square kilometers, the biggest mausoleum in the world.

The 2200-year old complex involved 700,000 laborers and took 36 years to finish.

The design embodies the emperor's dominant power everywhere.

Some 8,000 life-sized warriors, together with chariots, weapons and other precious relics, demonstrate a powerful military array.

Source: CCTV.com