Horse and Rider

Elaborate burials are a defining aspect of traditional Chinese culture, and grave goods provide extraordinary amounts of information about how the ancient Chinese lived. The use of horses in the military, which began in the 3rd century bce, grew rapidly during the 2nd century bce to meet the challenge of horse-riding peoples threatening China along the northern frontier. These large, powerful horses were new to China. Traded for luxurious silk, they were the first major import to China from the newly established trade corridor to the Mediterranean world now known as the Silk Road. Within a few years, the marvelous Arabian steeds had become immensely popular with military and aristocracy alike, and upper-class tombs began to be filled with images of these great horses for use in the afterlife.