Terracotta Army creators likely included women and children

New research into the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang suggests that women and children were involved in the creation of the figures, challenging the long-held belief that only adult men were responsible for the project.

An international team of researchers, led by archaeologist Xiaoxi Li from the Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site Museum, analyzed 79 unique fingerprints found on 36 terracotta warriors. The study examined traces left on heads, hands, armor, and collars. Using statistical modeling based on ridge width, researchers estimated that approximately 45% of the prints belonged to adult men, 32.7% to adult women, and 22.3% to children under the age of 15.

The presence of younger individuals may align with historical records from the Qin Dynasty describing an apprenticeship system where youths learned crafts under master artisans. While the findings provide new insight into the demographic makeup of the workforce, researchers noted that the study is limited by its small sample size.