Chinese archaeologists have unearthed 110 new terracotta warriors that laid buried since 210 BC, an official said Monday, part of the famed army built to guard the tomb of China's first emperor.

The life-size figures were excavated by archaeologists near the Qin Emperor's mausoleum in northern China, along with 12 pottery horses, weapons and tools.

In the 1970's, the world was astonished to learn of some local farmers digging a well near the emperor's mausoleum. They unearthed the first bits of a terracotta army that included 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses.

The collection was a form of funerary art buried with the emperor to protect the him in the afterlife, and to make sure that he had subjects to rule over. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The archeological discovery included warriors, chariots and horses.

"The most significant discovery this time around is that the relics that were found were well-preserved and colorfully painted," one official told AFP News.

(READ the story, w/ photos, from AFP via National Post)