Archaeologists discover a 2,200-year-old crossbow in China

Archaeologists in China have unearthed a crossbow that's about 2,200 years old, and it's in shockingly good condition.

The crossbow was buried along with more than 8,000 life-size terra cotta clay warriors in Xi'an, in China's Shaanxi province. China.org reports that the artifact is the most complete crossbow to be found at the site.

The team believes the crossbow's strings are made from animal tendons, which allowed for its preservation. The archaeologists also found two wooden sticks, called Qing, next to the crossbow. The Qing have rope holes so that crossbows could be secured and transported, Ancient Origins explains.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Historians believe the clay army was created to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang after his death. Though the warriors are clay, their weapons are real, not replicas.

The terra cotta warriors were first discovered in 1974, but the crossbow adds a new piece to the puzzle. Scientists will continue studying the crossbow because it could provide new understanding about ancient weapons.