Pottery is an important indication of the New Stone Age in the history of mankind, and the making of pottery is another major achievement for humanity after the use of fire. Clay is first made in various shapes and then dried and fired to harden, and pottery is thus made. Almost all nations in the world independently developed their own pottery making technique. When ancient humans settled down and began a life on farming and animal husbandry, pottery utensils became necessities for cooking, eating, drinking and storing. In China pottery dates back 8,000 years. For nearly all historical periods, Chinese pottery kept improving and leading the world with excellent products. Chinese pottery and porcelain as a whole is a materialized culture, and a combination of the economy, culture, science and technology. In the long history of the Chinese nation, the Chinese made pottery and porcelain goods and explored and appreciated the art of ceramics, which became an inalienable part of Chinese civilization.

Early earthenware developed gradually. They first had the colors of gray, black and white, then some were impressed with lines and figures, and later some were decorated with colorful, opaque glazes. The shapes of earthenware also grew from simple to complex and from coarse to delicate. The most well-known works of pottery from early periods of ancient China are the terracotta warriors and horses excavated in Lintong of Shaanxi Province, from the site of the tomb of Emperor Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty. The terracotta army was discovered accidentally in 1974. Since then more than 6,000 life-size terracotta warriors and horses and over 100 chariots have been unearthed from three pits.

Now a modem structure covers the three pits, and they constitute the on-site Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors. Pit No. 1 is the largest: 230 meters east to west, 62 meters north to south, and 5 meters deep. It totals 14,260 square meters in area and houses an army formation. The warriors included soldiers, reinsmen, armored soldiers, officers, and generals, some standing, and some kneeling, with some horses among them. The smaller Pit No. 2 houses a cavalry formation, with a large number of chariots buried inside. The smallest is Pit No. 3, which houses sixty to seventy officers and generals, seeming to be a headquarters. The warriors and horses were skillfully made. The warriors have vivid hair, beards, facial expressions, and clothes, including their folds and wrinkles. And the horses are strong and ready to go into battles. The figures were painted with bright mineral pigments, most of which have now flaked. These warriors as funeral objects were made to defend the emperor in the next world. The Qin people must have paid a great deal to build such a terracotta army, but their legacy has been praised as the eighth wonder of the world. Jacques Shirac, now president of France, said in 1978 when he visited the Museum: "One can't claim to have visited China unless one has seen these terracotta warriors."