Pit K0006 – Civil Official Figures
In 2000, the archaeologists at the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum discovered an accessory pit containing 12 pottery figures. There are 8 figures of civil officials among them, which give this pit the name, Civil Official Figures Pit. This pit numbered Pit K0006 is located at the southwest corner, inside the inner city of the mausoleum, covering an area of 410 square meters (490 square yards) in total. It consists of three parts: slope gateway, front pit and back pit, stretching like the Chinese character “中”. It is worth mentioning that this pit had not been damaged by fire, which is quite rare in the Mausoleum of the Emperor Qin Shihuang.
Slope Gateway
At the entrance of the slope gateway, the archaeologists found the tracks of an ancient wooden carriage which was appeared to have two wheels on a single axle.
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Front Pit
The front pit measuring 10.6 meters (35 feet) long and 4.05 (13 feet) meters wide holds the terracotta figures, including those of the 8 civil officials together with figures of 4 charioteers. Originally, these pottery figures were colored. However, only the faces retained some color due to the effects of groundwater and pit collapse. All 12 figures have hats that show they are of noble rank.
The civil official figures in Pit K0006 are also called Xiushou Figures. Compared to the warrior figures in Pit 1, the civil official figures seem to be gentler, wearing a long gown with a belt, pants and square toed shoes. The archaeologists found some ornaments on these figures, which are regarded as the stationery of ancient times. An oval gap between the left arm and the body of Xiushou Figures is believed to have held a bamboo slip of the kind that was used to record information. That’s why these figures are regarded as “civil officials”. The charioteer figures, known as Yushou Figures, hold out their arms with Semi-clenched fists, which would appear to have held bridle reins. They are thought to be the chariot drivers in the ancient times.
When found, each of the figures was damaged to a different extent. Currently, only nine have been repaired and five of them are displayed in Pit K0006. One of the figures is 1.89 meters (6.2 feet) tall, wearing a gentle smile, which seems quite reverent and respectful. These static figures with the different expressions show their special status and psychological activities vividly. As well as the figures, some pottery jars, Bronze Yue Axe and horse harnesses were also discovered in the front pit.
Back Pit
With a length of 20.2 meters (66 feet) and width of 3.9 meters (13 feet), the back pit of Pit K0006 mostly contained horse bones. Among them, 9 horse’s skulls are clearly recognizable. The density of bones shows that there may be over 20 real horses buried in this pit and all with their heads lying towards to the north.
Although this accessory Pit K0006 doesn't have a large scale, it shows different pottery figures from the Terracotta Army, which helps with the study and greater understanding of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum.
Travel Information
1. The entrance fee of Pit K0006 is included in the through ticket of the Terracotta Army.
2. You can take a free shuttle bus from the Terracotta Army Museum to Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Park (Lishan Garden) to see this accessory pit.
More Accessory Pits:
Pit K0007 - Bronze Aquatic Birds Pit K9801 - Stone Armor and Helmets Pit K9901 - Acrobatics Figures
Further Reading: Why are there partition walls in the pit of Terracotta Army?