People from all over the world visit Xi’an in China's Shaanxi province to witness life-sized, ancient soldiers at the Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses. Each beige-colored, armor-clad warrior flaunts various intricate facial expressions and features. They range in height from six feet to six-foot five-inches.   
 
"China is amazed at how smart they were and this is a symbol of national pride," says Li Xue, 23, a student at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
 
Courtney Barnett, 34, of Louisiana was on a trip to the museum with her family during a two-week visit to the province. Barnett adopted a two-year-old girl with her husband and says she wanted to take her to see this part of China’s history.
 
"We were in awe as soon as we saw the statues," she says, looking into pit one in the first room that she visited. This pit, the largest of four, is believed to contain 6,000 warriors and horses, some unearthed while others are still buried. 
 
Around each pit, tourists crowd to snap photos. Archaeologists, scattered throughout the museum's pits, can be found working meticulously to preserve their findings.
 
The scientists cover their faces with masks and wear white gloves to protect their hands and the artifacts. They use tiny paintbrushes to carefully wipe the surfaces of the soldiers, horses and buildings discovered 35 years ago.
 
On July 1, they were hard at work continuing the excavation of more of the 1,000 plus warriors already discovered. At the same time, however, their mission is to figure out why Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qing dynasty, built the Terra Cotta Warriors in the first place.
 
Worldwide archaeologists and historians surmise one theory of spirituality and another of loyalty to the emperor. Neither has yet been set in stone.   
 
"Conventional theory is that they are spiritual guardians to protect his tomb," said Professor Charles Haddad of Stony Brook University, regarding the Terra Cotta Warriors. "Archaeologists are digging for proof of this theory."
 
According to this theory, Qin feared death. Once he died, he wanted his warriors to protect him from the dangers of the afterlife. 
  
Haddad and Professor Yoichi Shimatsu, a former investigative journalist and current environmental consultant, believe the loyalty theory clashes with the conventional version. "If he was a dictator that wanted immortality, how come there weren’t more important people?" Shimatsu asked rhetorically. "If you wanted to preserve the kingdom, why weren’t there more people?"
 
Shimatsu pointed out that despite such a massive amount of warriors protecting Qin, other vital members of the emperor’s society, such as bureaucrats and scholars, should have been replicated as well.
 
He added that Qin may not have built warriors for protection, but rather as a means to fundraise the building of his own tomb. Qin could have collected the money from military officers who paid to have a statue made in their likeness.
 
"Qin had no real way to finance projects, so he looked to his officers who were wealthy with estates," Shimatsu said. "The officers may have paid the government to get it built." He said the fundraiser may be the reason each warrior has its own distinct representation. 
 
Even though the excavation may symbolize national pride for many Chinese, archaeologists and historians struggle to find the ultimate reason for the creation of the ancient statues. They hope to learn more by continuing the excavation. 
 
"It is painstaking work to preserve statues," Haddad said. "Archaeologists are just finding soldiers instead of the full representation of the emperor’s society."