Expert says terracotta army of servants, not warriors

A Chinese professor is out with a theory that could turn one of the

country's most important archeological discoveries on upside down.

Liu Jiusheng at Shaanxi Normal University says the famed Terracotta

Soldiers of Xi'an aren't soldiers at all--they're royal servants and bodyguards,

most likely modeled after high-ranking Qin dynasty officials.

Most historians believe the 2,200-year-old clay statues buried near the

emperor's tomb represent an army custom-made to guard him in the afterlife. But

Liu argues ordinary soldiers weren't allowed to get close to the emperor, even

in death.

Furthermore, Liu says the figures stand at around 190 cm, much taller than

average Chinese past or present. Liu theorizes the clay statues were probably

made taller to show their elevated social status.

Though not widely accepted, experts say Liu's argument is worth studying.

The 1,000-strong terracotta army was discovered near Xi'an in 1974. It was

listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in December 1987,

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Xi'an.

(XHTV)