'Teenage warriors' discovered in terracotta army

'Teenage warriors' discovered in terracotta army

XI'AN: Beardless warriors had been discovered among China's terracotta army, providing evidence of the youthful ages of some soldiers when the army was created more than 2,000 years ago.

Link
Terracotta Warriors Discovery transform finder's lives(Xinhua)

Updated: 2009-10-13 Updated Link


Terracotta warriors from the No 1 pit are on display in the Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses

Interesting. Perhaps they are women maybe?

reply to post by vermonster

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Don't think so... the bodies of the terracotta warriors were standardized. They're all male, but the faces and weaponry are distinct.

Perhaps they used Nair?
Just kidding.

I have a few friends who can't grow a beard to save their life. Perhaps some of the sculptors had the same issue and felt like they must be represented in the army as well.

reply to post by vermonster

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Or perhaps, given that the average life expectancy was between 30 and 50 years back then, there were some who chose the military life as soon as they entered adulthood?

I mean, there's 16-19 year olds in the army today.

Wariors? or were these youngsters training for a military career...
performing tasks like 'Pages' or 'attendants' to the generals when not in formal schooling lessons?

there's too much evidence & tradition which more-or-less does not allow tender youth to engage in military combat in the Orient...

only the dark ages of europeans conscripted Youth

~IMHO~

reply to post by St Udio

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Think there were many very young men fighting in the U.S. Revolutionary War, not so sure they were recruited but lied about their age because they wanted to fight.

Only Europeans conscripted Youth?

That isn't even true TODAY. Let alone when the average lifespan was 25.

When you want to win, or when you REALLY don't want to use, everyone becomes a warrior.

reply to post by D.E.M.

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i agree

Not true.

The bodies were just as distinct as the faces. So this means if they look like young males then they were young males. This shouldn't be surprising considering the period. Having slightly younger soldiers to grow and age while in the military would have it's advantages. By the time they would have reached maturity they would be well indoctrinated into military life complete with combat training etc.

Bodies of the terracotta warriors

From what I have seen of the faces none of them look like teenagers to me, in fact look like very mature men. Great pics.

I was referring to the ones that have not been shown yet discussed in the link. The pics I've posted were for a demonstration of the "standardized" body claim.

We have not yet seen an example of the young ones.