The Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province Photo: IC

A major breakthrough in the study of the Qin Terracotta Warriors has revealed that some of the craftsmen who created the iconic statues were underage, according to China News Service.

Experts say the discovery challenges long-held assumptions that only adult labor was employed in large-scale state projects during the Qin Dynasty (221BC–206BC). The evidence provides unprecedented insight into how handicraft production was organized, labor force composition, and even the broader social structure of the period more than 2,000 years ago.

Using an ultra-depth-of-field microscopy, archaeologists have captured remarkably clear fingerprints left on more than 40 restored Terracotta Warriors, from which they extracted more than 100 individual prints. By applying fingerprint analysis, researchers were able to estimate the age and gender composition of the ancient pottery workers.

Preliminary findings suggest that while most fingerprints belonged to adult males, a small number were identified as belonging to minors. Further research is needed to determine which production stages involved underage workers and whether there were distinct divisions of labor based on age.


Global Times