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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"39355","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","alt":"Terra Cotta Warriors"}}]]By Chris Carron, Director of Collections
Every day, thousands of our members and visitors enjoy one of The Children's Museum's permanent, core experiences, National Geographic Treasures of the Earth. This perennial favorite lets you explore how archeologists around the world search for and literally “dig up” clues about our human past. Families love to crawl through re-created Egyptian tomb passages, pretend they’re diving for lost shipwrecks, and also reassemble replica Terra Cotta Warriors like giant jigsaw puzzles.
If you count yourselves among the many that have explored Treasures of the Earth, then I hope we’ve whetted your appetite for the main event—an extraordinary temporary exhibit coming for a limited time from May 10 through November 2: Terra Cotta Warriors: The Emperor’s Painted Army, directly from China’s Shaanxi Province. Organized by The Children’s Museum, this exhibit will include some of the actual life-sized, 2200-year-old, fired clay statues from China that were buried in the earth for millennia until they were discovered by farmers in 1974. Whereas Treasures of the Earth focuses on how archaeologists make their discoveries by analyzing evidence, Terra Cotta Warriors will bring you up close with some of the world’s greatest treasures, and will focus on the how scientists, artists, and historians are using the latest technology to understand how these figures were made and preserve their original painted surfaces. I got to see how this is happening at behind-the-scenes laboratories onsite in Xi’an, China, and now so will you—only right here in Indianapolis. This will truly be a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for people of all ages.
While the terra cotta warriors date way back to the time when China first unified as a nation, another permanent, core experience also opening on May 10 will immerse you in the ancient customs and modern activities of life in contemporary China. Take Me There:® China will be one of the largest (maybe THE largest) comprehensive exhibit on contemporary China ever produced in the United States, and will explore the art, music, language, food, tea culture, and homes of children and families in the world’s most populous nation.
So, don’t be confused—come and see them all!
Terra Cotta Warriors is a timed ticket exhibit, and an additional charge is required. Member tickets are on sale now.
