In 1974, a group of peasants digging a well in Xi'an, China, found fragments of a terra-cotta figure. This led to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. The excavation revealed an entire army of more than 7,000 life-size terra cotta figures of ancient Chinese soldiers and horses, designed to follow their emperor Qin (221-206BC) into eternity. The excavation is now on the list of the UNESCO as a world-class cultural heritage site.
The photo displays U.S. President Ronald Reagan with his wife Nancy during a visit of Xian in 1984.

External Web Links:

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2001/10/01/html/ft_20011001.3.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

Image Copyright:

White House Photographic Collection. Source: National Archives and Records Administration. This work is in the public domain, because it is a work of the United States Government.