How were they made?

There are several theories on how the warriors were made but many unsolved questions remain

Getting the clay

Workers gathered the clay from near the pit where the warriors were found. Experts say the clay had to be “worked” to make it fit for use

Making the parts

While some suggest that the body was made directly on top of the legs, experts are not sure about how some parts were made

Putting the parts together

At this point, the warrior is composed using patches of clay to join the parts. Each was put together in rough form before getting final artistic touches

Head

By using two separate open molds, they made the front and back of the head and put them together later. Details were then carved in

Legs and hands

This is one of the most mysterious parts of the process. It is believed that, being solid parts, they were made using a mold in two parts

Torso, short tunic and arms

Being hollow parts, they were made from coiled ropes of clay in the same way as a pottery vase

Carving

The warriors received a layer of clay to make the armor which was carved by hand to give them the final shape. After that, workers applied a layer of lacquer