Pit 2
Each section of the L shaped pit had a different type of unit.
1. The north eastern most part of the L was comprised of 352 archers. This section was split into four corridors of two soldiers all facing east and kneeling. On the north and south end of the section two longer corridors contain standing crossbowmen that face outwards protecting their respective flank. From this section historians learned an important Chinese military strategy known as the clouds formation. [1] This tactic consisted of archers that would alternate between standing up and kneeling as they reloaded. This allowed for a constant stream of arrows being fired at the enemy.
2. The north western section of the L is composed of three long rows of cavalry men. Each row had eight teams of four horses and riders. Every rider stands in front of his respective horse and holds the reins of the horse in one hand and a crossbow in the other. The rider was dressed in shorts and a tunic. [5] This was surprising to many military historians because in the past cavalry men always wore robes that signified power but hindered movement. This hints at the fact that Qin Shi Huang may have abandoned some of the more elaborate and traditional acts of war in favor of more efficiency.
3. The middle most section was composed of armored warriors and chariots. The landscape of this area is very hilly and uneven. These soldiers would accompany the chariots because they would be quicker in movement and could help the chariots if they ever got stuck.
4. The southernmost and base of the L formation consists of 64 war chariots. Due to the fact that the chariots were made of wood they have all rotted and disintegrated, leaving behind only traces of wood and the bronze fittings. These chariots are further evidence that this was not a real army formation and was instead more of a stand in, as many of the chariots did not have the full team assigned to them. This suggests that these chariots were intended for backup and would not all be brought into battle at once.
