Yang was luckier than most of the other villagers because he got a job signing books for visitors who want the autograph
of the man who discovered the terracotta warriors. But being famous has its price. A Chinese newspaper described Yang
as an illiterate who couldn’t write his own name and could only draw three circles as his signature. A furious Yang sued
the newspaper and received 20,000 yuan in compensation. That money came in handy when Yang stopped signing books
some years ago, and found himself with no income at all.
Even whether Yang Zhifa really discovered the terracotta warriors has been challenged by other villagers trying to make
money signing books for visitors. Yang Quanyi, for example, has set up another table outside the exhibition hall and tells
visitors that he is the true discoverer of the terracotta warriors.
The tale of the discovery of the terracotta warriors is an interesting example of how the lives of so many people can be
changed so much by an accidental discovery. As Yang Zhifa has said, if he had dug another foot in the other direction he
would have missed the discovery that made him famous. Perhaps someone else would have found the terracotta warriors
later on, we’ll never know. But most likely Yang would never have signed any books, and instead spent his whole life
farming.
Some people have benefited from the discovery, including Yang for the most part. But others have suffered, including
many of his fellow villagers. Some must surely wish that he’d taken their advice to rebury the object he found, instead of
taking it to the county Cultural Relics Bureau.
It would be a tragedy if other villagers who find historical objects in the future decide it is better to rebury those objects,
instead of revealing them to the world. Archaeological tourism is something which every country must handle carefully to
make sure its benefits are bigger than the disadvantages. There are international guidelines which say that archaeological
sites should work closely with the local population and respect their values, ideals and rights. That’s something which the
Chinese government should remember when managing the terracotta warriors’ site. The aim should be that no one will
ever regret making an archaeological discovery.
The lesson to be learnt from this tale is that historical artifacts are important, but so are the people affected by their
discovery.
