The Terracotta Army, 8,000 terracotta warrior figures guarding the tomb of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shui Huang (259–210 BCE), was discovered in Xi’an in northwest China in 1974. The finding was remarkable not only for the sheer number of figures but for the intricate details of each sculpture. While it was a well-developed art form in ancient Greece, sculpture seems to have played only a minor role in ancient Asian art until the ascension of Qin Shui Huang. The variety of ear shapes, hairstyles, and armor among the figures has archaeologists pondering the possibility that the Terracotta Army may be representations of actual individual warriors. Such a level of detail is far beyond that of any known earlier Chinese sculptures.

Experts are searching for an explanation for this seemingly sudden appearance of sophisticated sculpture in ancient China. Recent DNA analysis of human remains found in westernmost China from the period of Qin Shui Huang yielded the surprising presence of European DNA, leading anthropologists to believe that Western contact with China may significantly predate the Silk Road, usually considered the inception of the relationship between these two civilizations. What is even more remarkable, however, is one of the responses to this discovery. Professor Lukas Nickel, an art historian from the University of Vienna, speculates that the presence of the DNA indicates that a Greek sculptor may have been employed at the site of the Terracotta Army to train the locals. Nickel also cites ancient Chinese records that reveal tales of giant statues appearing in the far West, as well as narratives stating that the emperor ordered the casting of copies in bronze that were erected in front of his palace. This account supports the notion of early contact between China and the West, which Nickel says could have inspired the First Emperor not only to duplicate the giant statues but also to build the huge Terracotta Army along with other life-size sculptures. Li Xiuzhen, a Chinese archaeologist specializing in the Terracotta Army, responds that the sculptures “may be inspired by Western culture, but were uniquely made by the Chinese.”

Nickel’s leap from the presence of European DNA in one part of China to his conclusion strains credulity. It is, at best, an interesting hypothesis demanding further evidence and, at worst, a pernicious example of Western cultural elitism wherein artistic developments that parallel or exceed those of Western culture are considered impossible without the impetus of Western influence.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. compare the development of sculpture as an art form in the ancient Greek and Chinese cultures
B. challenge an interpretation of new physical evidence of the presence of Western DNA in China
C. criticize the authenticity of recent evidence used to address the question of how the Greek and Chinese sculptural arts came to share many characteristics
D. discuss the contribution of Greek artisans to the design and construction of the Terracotta Army
E. present evidence that suggests an explanation for the sudden appearance of advanced sculpture techniques in China


2. The passage implies which of the following about the sculptures of the Terracotta Army?

A. They did not include anatomical features specific to individual subjects.
B. Their detailed features enable art historians and archaeologists to definitively identify individual warriors.
C. They were a further development of the earlier traditions of Chinese sculpture.
D. They were due to the training provided by Greek sculptors.
E. They may have some similarities in style to some contemporary Greek sculptures.


Identify the sentence that provides an interpretation of evidence of contact between ancient Western and Chinese cultures with which the author disagrees.