China's Terracotta Army Just Got Reinforcements

In the midst of all this talk about World War III, people around the planet are on edge. The US is aggressively assassinating top generals while bracing for retaliatory cyber attacks, and we're all still waiting to see what's inside that "beautiful vase" that Kim Jong-Un promised the world.

But world superpower China, the country with the biggest military in the world at 1.6 million troops, according to Army Technology, has just unearthed a special reinforcement unit. We're talking, of course, about the Terracotta Soldiers. Per Smithsonian, the 7,000 strong force of clay warriors has just grown by another 200 after a recent discovery in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb. Like any good set of action figures, they also came with a boatload of weaponry and two cool poses; either "clutching pole weapons, with their right arms bent and fists partially clenched, or carrying bows, with their right arms hanging at ease."

Your kids will be amazed at the lifelike characteristics uniquely sculpted onto each warrior, and the thoughtful arrangement into different positions based on rank and task. Not even G.I. Joe can match this level of detail: "All figures found thus far boast distinct expressions, hairstyles and physical features," along with different signifiers on their armor and clothing.

But wait! There's more. Archaeologists also excavated a "trove of other relics, among them 12 clay horses, the remains of two chariots, colored shields, bronze swords, bows, weapons stored in boxes and traces of building sites."

The saga of the Terracotta Army began in 1974, when farmers digging a well in China's Shaanxi province unearthed life-sized shards of a battle-ready soldier. "Subsequent excavations revealed a stunning, now-iconic archaeological discovery: an army of "Terracotta Warriors," each rendered with unique traits some 2,000 years ago."

Funnily enough, Emperor Qin Shi Huang requested the army be built shortly after he ascended to the throne at age 13. In a way, the Terracotta Soldiers really were his G.I. Joes. Just way cooler.